Morningside Loss Is First Since ’88 in League Play

Senior forward Simi Fonua scored on a layup with six seconds remaining Wednesday night to give Mira Costa High’s basketball team a 63-61 upset over visiting Morningside and hand the Monarchs their first league defeat in three seasons.

Morningside, which clinched its third consecutive Ocean League title last week, had not lost a league game since 1988, when it finished second to Leuzinger in the Pioneer League.

“It’s a great win for the program, that’s what this means,” Mira Costa Coach Glenn Marx said. “We made a statement to the people in our division. I have to feel going into the playoffs that we can compete with anyone.”

The Mustangs might have proved it with their victory. Morningside entered the game as the top-ranked team in CIF Division III and is expected to be seeded No. 1 when the playoffs open Feb. 15.

Tenth-ranked Mira Costa improved to 18-7 overall and 5-2 in league play to secure second place with a game remaining. Morningside dropped to 22-3 and 7-1 in its final regular-season game.

Center Chris Davis, a 6-foot-8 senior, led Mira Costa with a game-high 25 points and eight rebounds and was an intimidating presence inside with five blocked shots.

“Chris Davis was spectacular,” Marx said.

Fonua added 12 points for the Mustangs and reserve guard Tyrone Burks, playing what Marx called his best game of the season, scored 10 and made the biggest pass of the night.

With the score tied, 61-61, and Mira Costa trying to work the ball inside to Davis, Burks found Fonua alone on the weak side for the game-winning basket. Morningside called time out with five seconds left, but was only able to get off a half-court shot at the buzzer.

“(Morningside) was concentrating on Davis, and they left me open,” Fonua said. “Tyrone saw me. He has great eyes.”

Mira Costa led most of the game and went ahead by 12 points, 26-14, early in the second quarter before Morningside fought back behind a tenacious man-to-man defense that forced the Mustangs into several mistakes. Mira Costa finished with 20 turnovers.

Morningside sophomore guard Stais Boseman (16 points) hit a three-point basket with 2:04 left in the third quarter to tie the score, 38-38. From there, it was back and forth to the wire.

A steal led to a two-handed dunk by Boseman midway through the fourth quarter, giving Morningside a 57-54 lead. Mira Costa came back to tie it twice, the last time on a driving layup by freshman guard Shane Willis with 1:07 left to make it 61-61.

Fonua then rebounded a miss by Morningside forward Keenan Jourdan (18 points), setting up the Mustangs’ final possession.

“(Mira Costa) played well,” Morningside Coach Carl Franklin said. “I thought we needed to attack in the post a little more.”