Estancia Girls Are Doomed by Their Poor Shooting

Estancia wasted a home-court advantage by making only 11 of 49 shots from the field (22%) and missing the front end of four one-and-one opportunities in the final four minutes in losing to Whittier Pioneer, 45-38, Saturday in the second round of the Southern Section Division III-A girls’ basketball playoffs.

“You’ve got to shoot better than 20% in the playoffs,” Estancia Coach Russ Davis said. “We were better than that team, and we had scouted (potential quarterfinal opponents) Temescal Canyon and Bassett, and we were better than those teams, too, but it’s not going to do us any good.

“I think (second-seeded) Costa Mesa’s the best team left. I would be surprised if they didn’t win. They’re better than (third-seeded Inglewood) Morningside.”

Estancia, by the way, beat Costa Mesa twice this season.

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Sonora is one game away from a possible rematch with Servite, which beat the Raiders in last year’s Division III-A boys’ basketball semifinals. But Sonora has other things to think about.

There’s the matter of tonight’s game against Compton Centennial, then the Raiders’ unhealthy outlook. How unhealthy? Center Craig Clark hurt his right knee, didn’t practice last week and played at only 70% in a 60-43 victory over Pomona Ganesha. Guard Chad Fister has been hobbled by back spasms. Said Coach Mike Murphy: “We simply cannot lose Chad.”

But Sonora is not the only school in need of extra ice packs.

* Los Alamitos’ Brian Corbin, who sustained a concussion in last Tuesday’s game against Long Beach Millikan, is expected to play in the Griffins’ Friday quarterfinal against Rialto Eisenhower.

* Ike Harmon broke his hand in Santa Ana Valley’s 92-78 loss to Los Alamitos and will be fitted for a cast this week.

* Santa Ana’s Tanzenika Holmes needed six stitches after catching an elbow in her forehead in the Saints’ 45-35 loss to West Covina in the first round of the Division I-A girls’ playoffs.

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The 12th California State High School Surf Team Championships will take place Friday and Saturday at Oceanside Harbor’s north and south jetties. Starting time both days is 6:30 a.m.

Competition will be head-to-head single elimination with boys’ and girls’ surf teams and bodyboarding teams.

County schools participating are Aliso Niguel, Capistrano Valley, Dana Hills, Edison, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Newport Harbor, San Clemente and Santa Margarita.

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Estancia is the final county representative in the Division III-A boys’ basketball bracket, and the Eagles face a familiar nemesis in the quarterfinals.

Inglewood Morningside (17-9) has the worst overall record among the remaining eight teams, but the Monarchs beat the Eagles in the quarterfinals two years ago and twice in the 1991-92 season.

“They are pretty solid,” Estancia Coach Tim Parsel said. “The last time we played them it was in Inglewood; I’m glad the game is out here this time (at Corona del Mar).”

* Times staff writer Mike Terry contributed to this story.