Boys basketball: Eagles struggle in 56-52 loss

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - The inconsistency of altering continued for the

Estancia High boys basketball team, which suffered a 56-52 nonleague loss

to visiting Irvine Wednesday night.

Life after Micah Young is not easy for the Eagles (2-4), who struggled

to find rhythm until a third-period run, which showed there is promise

for the future.

Trailing, 26-22, at halftime, Estancia took off on a 17-8 run in the

first four minutes of the third quarter. Eagles senior guard Jorge Prado,

who scored 14 points, drained two three-pointers and also drove in for a

layup to aid the run. Senior Fernando Maldonado scored seven of his

game-high 17 points in the run and his free throw with 4:02 left in the

third period gave the Eagles a 39-32 lead.

But free throws actually prevented Estancia from breaking away or

coming back in the fourth period. The Eagles were 9 for 19 from the

free-throw line.

“I was very proud of their effort,” Estancia Coach Chris Sorce said of

his Eagles. “But we’re not looking for moral victories. We’re looking for

w’s. This one is very hard to swallow.”

It was hard to swallow because after Estancia’s spurt, Irvine (2-4)

answered with a 10-2 run to close out the period and gained a 42-41 lead,

which it never lost.

The Eagles came as close as, 50-47, after a 6-0 run with 3:41

remaining. Junior Matt Cachola scored four points and dished to Joey

Lindquist for an easy bucket in less than two minutes. But, the Vaqueros

held off the Eagles after Estancia went 2 for 7 from the free-throw line

over the last three minutes.

Lindquist, Estancia’s junior center, chipped in nine points and eight

rebounds, while Prado nailed three three-pointers in the second half.

Prado shot 3 of 7 behind the arc.

The Vaqueros shot plenty from three-point land, putting in 5 of 17

three-pointers.

The Eagles return to nonleague action tonight at 7, hosting La Quinta.