Pacifica’s Swan, Rachlin Frustrate Bolsa Grande

Pacifica’s starting point guard could only watch from the bench. But Danny Dihn had plenty to smile about.

Teammates Jeff Swan and Adam Rachlin each scored 19 points, the defense helped frustrate Bolsa Grande into a sub-par shooting night, and the result was a 72-58 victory for Pacifica in a Garden Grove League boys’ basketball game Friday at Bolsa Grande.

Dihn, the team’s leading scorer who was sidelined because of the flu, grinned while his teammates shot 66% from the field in the first half to take an 11-point lead.

Although Bolsa Grande sophomore Jon James finished with 21 points and 15 rebounds, overall, the Matadors struggled to find the range, making only 17 of 52 (33%) from the field in the game.

But Bolsa Grande (15-5, 5-1 in league) held Pacifica (16-4, 6-0) scoreless for the first 5 1/2 minutes of the third quarter to close within, 44-40, on Duc Nguyen’s jumper.

However, that was Nguyen’s first field goal of the game, and that was as close as Bolsa Grande would get as Pacifica went on a 17-2 run over the next four minutes to put the game out of reach.

“I can’t say enough about how these kids pulled together tonight,” Pacifica Coach Bob Becker said, “and to play like that without Danny.”

Although they missed Dihn’s scoring, the Mariners equalized that loss by taking Nguyen out of his game.

Nguyen came into the game averaging 20 points. But Friday, he made only two of 10 shots from the field with no three-pointers facing Swan’s man-to-man pressure or the Mariners’ 1-3-1 trapping zone.

Nguyen finished with 14 points, making 10 of 12 free throws, but had only six points through three quarters.

“I think he pressed,” Bolsa Grande Coach Mike Anderson said. “Duc’s so competitive, maybe he tried to shoulder too much of the burden. But if we shoot the ball halfway decent . . .

“And heck, we hold them without a field goal for the first 5 1/2 minutes of the third quarter and they still held the lead. But that’s a tribute to them. We had our opportunities.

“They outplayed us tonight.”

In another Garden Grove League game:

La Quinta 66, Santiago 51--Chris Smith scored 26 points for La Quinta (10-10, 3-3), which trailed by seven at halftime but outscored Santiago in the third quarter, 24-4.

Aris Lindo scored 19 points and Jose Lizarraras added 18 for Santiago (8-10, 2-4).