Mustangs repeat as champions

LAGUNA BEACH — Costa Mesa High senior Michelle Figueroa briefly heard the boos as she dribbled out the clock.

There was less than a minute left in Tuesday night’s game, and the Mustangs were about to repeat as Orange Coast League champions. Figueroa, who had been dribbling the clock down each of the last several possessions, decided to get low to the court and make some crossover dribbles, a move that seemingly didn’t sit well with some of the Breakers fans.

But the Mustangs were screening all of that out, just like they were screening out taller Breakers players for rebounds all night long.

“I didn’t pay attention,” said Figueroa, who finished with game-highs of 22 points, 17 rebounds and seven steals. “You’re going to get that a lot. They’re just hating. They’re jealous.”

Opponents of Costa Mesa, it turns out, have plenty to be jealous about. The Mustangs clinched their second straight outright league title by winning at Laguna Beach, 62-51, in an emotionally charged game.

Costa Mesa (17-8, 7-1 in league) also avenged its only league loss. The Breakers (9-12, 5-3) had shocked Mesa in the teams’ last league meeting, 59-58, on Jan. 25.

“They beat us at home by one, and we just wanted to come back here and pound them,” said Mesa senior Denise Rosello, who buried a trio of three-pointers in the first half.

It was in that first half that Rosello and Kathy Trinh did the most damage, combining for all 17 of their points and five three-pointers. The last one, Rosello’s from the corner with 15 seconds left in the half, gave the Mustangs, ranked No. 5 in the CIF Southern Section Division IV-AA coaches’ poll, a 37-19 lead over the No. 11 Breakers.

“That’s big,” Costa Mesa Coach Jim Weeks said. “If they’re hitting, then it opens it up and makes them spread out the court. That gives Michelle that lane to get that penetration.”

Figueroa got to the basket numerous times in the second half, even as the same Laguna Beach fans protested that some of their defensive fouls should have been charges.

She finished the game a perfect 10 of 10 from the free-throw line, part of a 19-of-20 Mustangs’ effort.

Senior center Jasmine Werdel, who had 19 points, was six of nine from the field and made seven of eight free throws. The 5-foot-11 Werdel was battling all night inside against the Breakers’ 5-10 forwards Lauren Kelly and Katie Daff, as well as 6-2 freshman center Samantha Garner.

The size disparity — Costa Mesa has no other players taller than 5-8 — led Weeks to joke that Laguna Beach had grown taller since the teams’ last meeting.

“We all of a sudden look small when we play other teams,” Weeks said. “We just do a heck of a job rebounding and screening out for our size.”

But Werdel, for one, said she didn’t mind battling. With Mesa’s lead trimmed to just 56-48 late in the fourth quarter, sophomore forward Olivia Scheidt hustled for an offensive rebound and got the ball to Werdel. She buried a 15-foot jumper to put the Mustangs back up 10 with 2:30 to go, and Laguna Beach could never seriously challenge again.

“I guess I just wanted it more,” Werdel said. “After they beat us by one point, I just wanted to show them we’re league champs and they’re not better than us.”

Senior guard Emily LaRose had a team-high 17 points for the Breakers, despite stellar defense from Mustangs junior Amy Gentling.

Laguna Beach senior guard Tess Grogan, the team’s leading scorer, was in foul trouble throughout the game. Grogan, who had seven points on Senior Night, fouled out late in the third quarter.

“You know, it’s really frustrating when the [referees] call things, especially on Senior Night,” LaRose said. “I felt really bad for her ... It’s a tough loss, but we’ll grow from it. We could have won, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.”

The Mustangs know that feeling after their earlier loss to Laguna Beach, but it only made Tuesday’s win that much sweeter.

“The whole day I was thinking about this game,” Figueroa said. “I just knew we had to start hard from the beginning. Laguna, they’re a great team and they play hard. We knew we had to watch out for that. Plus, us seniors wanted to leave as league champs again, like last year.”

Costa Mesa’s regular-season finale is Thursday at home against Calvary Chapel.

Orange Coast League

Costa Mesa 62, Laguna Beach 51

SCORE BY QUARTERS

CM – Figueroa 22, Werdel 19, Rosello 9, Trinh 8, Caicedo 2, Gentling 2.

3-pt. goals – Rosello 3, Trinh 2.

Fouled out – Caicedo.

Technicals – None.

LB – LaRose 17, Kelly 10, Writer 9, Grogan 7, Garner 6, Daff 2.

3-pt. goals – LaRose 4, Grogan 1.

Fouled out – Grogan.

Technicals – None.

MATT SZABO may be reached at (714) 966-4614 or by e-mail at [email protected].