Hawks Move Closer to League Title

The last week of last season, Laguna Hills upset both teams that shared the Pacific Coast League girls’ basketball title. Despite those victories, the Hawks finished eight games under .500 and missed the playoffs.

They got started a little earlier this year, and find themselves in position to win the league title they last won in 1997 when they also won the state Division II title.

Freshman Megan Aaker made four free throws in the final 39 seconds Thursday to help Laguna Hills hold off visiting Costa Mesa, 43-40, and move into sole possession of first place with two games to play.

Aaker, who had shot only 12 free throws this season, was five for six from the line. She also scored nine of the Hawks’ 11 fourth-quarter points as scoring leaders Anne Bubriski (eight points) and Shannon Owens (14 points, 15 rebounds) battled foul trouble.

Both sets of Aaker’s free throws, the last with 9.5 seconds remaining, increased Laguna Hills’ lead from three points to five, 41-36 and 43-38.

Aaker also scored on a drive to the basket and a three-point shot as Laguna Hills stretched its 32-28 fourth-quarter lead to 37-28 before Costa Mesa rallied.

“They hit their shots when they needed to,” said Costa Mesa junior Autumn Smith, who scored 10 points and had 16 rebounds. “They hit some key three-pointers and free throws at the end.”

Laguna Hills (15-7, 7-1) was anemic from the field (13 for 49, 26.5%) but made 15 of 18 free throws.

“We’re disappointed we didn’t win,” Costa Mesa Coach Jim Weeks said. “We made clutch shots early in the season to win games, and they made clutch shots tonight to win the game.”

Weeks also had some good news for his team. When the Mustangs won a Southern Section title in 1990, he told them, they did so without winning the league title.

After scoring 50 or more for nine consecutive games, Costa Mesa (15-9, 6-2)--ranked third in Division IV-A but likely to fall--has been held to 40 or less in consecutive losses to Woodbridge, University and Laguna Hills. “We have Westminster [ranked 10th in Orange County] on Saturday so we’ll have another tough lesson,” Weeks said. “We play Aliso Niguel and Laguna Beach next week and maybe we can regain some confidence [going into the playoffs].”

In another Pacific Coast League game:

Estancia 80, Laguna Beach 24--Lauren Cassity had 21 points for host Estancia (15-7, 0-6), which took a 17-2 lead. Laguna Beach is 2-19, 0-7.

In the Academy League:

Capistrano Valley Christian 50, Downey Calvary Chapel 46--Melissa Sands had 20 points to lead Capistrano Valley Christian (8-1). The Eagles won despite scoring just two points in the second quarter.

In the Garden Grove League:

La Quinta 38, Los Amigos 34--Tina Nguyen (12 points) made two free throws with three seconds left to clinch the victory for La Quinta (6-16, 4-6).

The Aztecs led 35-34 with 33 seconds left, then Bonny Shum (seven points, 13 rebounds) made her first free throw, missed her second and Nguyen was fouled after she grabbed the rebound.

In the Golden West League:

No. 10 Westminster 60, Ocean View 32--Tara Moore scored 13 points and Erin Arganda scored 12 for visiting Westminster (19-4, 8-0), which took control with a 24-6 first quarter.

Rosary 52, Tustin 47--Maggie Barnett (23 points) scored 15 in Rosary’s 23-point second quarter. Romina Bollini had 15 points and 15 rebounds for the Royals (17-8, 7-1). Brooke Brown led Tustin with 15 points.

In the Olympic League:

Calvary Chapel 49, Brethren Christian 45--Cathy Joens had 17 points, including three three-pointers, for Calvary Chapel (19-5, 10-0). Lindsay Richelli had nine points including a three-pointer with one minute left that gave Calvary Chapel a four-point lead. The win clinches at least a tie for first place.

In the Orange League:

No. 1 Brea Olinda 102, Savanna 18--Brea Olinda (21-3, 8-0) took a 31-4 lead and outscored host Savanna (8-15, 3-5) 48-10 in the second half.

In the Sea View League:

No. 3 El Toro 57, Santa Margarita 40--El Toro’s Giuliana Mendiola had 19 points and sister Gioconda scored 17 as El Toro (17-3, 8-0) clinched at least a share of the league title. Shannon Simon was the high scorer for Santa Margarita (15-9, 5-3) with 13 points.

Newport Harbor 59, Corona del Mar 43--Newport Harbor’s April Ross had 18 points and 10 rebounds, Kristen Urban had 12 points and Alyssa Paul had 11. Kristen McCoy scored a game-high 20, including four three-pointers, for Corona del Mar (0-8).

In the South Coast League:

No. 7 San Clemente 85, Trabuco Hills 19--Colleen Turnbull led the visiting Tritons (17-8, 7-1) with 21 points, and Kristin Jenkins had 10 points and 11 rebounds.

In the Sunset League:

No. 5 Edison 62, Esperanza 59--Esperanza cut an 11-point deficit going into the fourth quarter to four points with 2:30 remaining. But Edison (20-5, 8-0) made seven free throws and clinched at least a share of the the league title. Michelle Zylstra had 19 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks and Christina Patterson and Allison Libeu each scored 12 points for Edison. Kristen Peters scored 15 to lead Esperanza (15-8, 5-3).

No. 6 Marina 76, Huntington Beach 57--Nikki Lee (21 points) and Marisa Emde (20 points) each scored career highs to lead the host Vikings (21-3, 6-2). Lee had a team-high nine rebounds as second-place Marina clinched a playoff berth. The Oilers fell to 15-8, 3-5.