Estancia holds on for third place

Joseph Boo

PLACENTIA - Estancia High’s girls basketball team didn’t win pretty

against Canyon in Saturday’s third-place game at the El Dorado

Tournament, but it did win dramatically.

The Eagles hit seven free throws and one field goal in the fourth

quarter, but it was a three-pointer by Lauren Cassity with 2:47 left in

the game that turned the tide. That shot gave Estancia a one-point lead

that ended up being a 41-37 victory.

“We were playing hard,” Estancia Coach Paul Kirby said. “We obviously did

some things right, since we won. But we were still sloppy. We didn’t

match up well.”

Estancia led for the entire game until Canyon tied the score with 2:58

left. The Eagles jumping out to a 22-10 second quarter lead with

back-to-back threes from Becky Lenhart and Marie Rodriguez.

But Estancia then went scoreless for over eight minutes. The Eagles still

led, though, 25-20, after Lenhart sank another three in the third quarter

to end the Estancia drought.

Canyon chipped away at Estancia’s lead, using hustle plays and a big

rebounding advantage to stay close. In fact, the Comanches outrebounded

the Eagles, 44-29.

Canyon finally took the lead when Heather Canada grabbed a rebound and

laid the ball in. But Cassity immediately answered, taking the ball

coast-to-coast and burying a three-pointer from the left baseline to give

Estancia a 37-36 lead.

Canyon had a chance to take the lead numerous times after Cassity’s shot

with free throws, but it only hit one out of five. For the game, 25%

field goal and 5-for-16 free throw shooting killed the Comanches.

“They were pretty horrible at the line,” Kirby said. “If they sank a

couple of free throws, then the outcome might have swung.”

With 1:36 left, Xochitl Byfield grabbed a rebound for Estancia and got

fouled. She calmly sank both free throws to give Estancia the lead again.

Canyon could not answer with a field goal, and it resorted to fouling

Cassity, who hit 2-of-4 free throws to clinch the win.

Cassity led the Eagles with 17 points, along with 6 rebounds.

“Lauren was pretty clutch today,” Kirby said.

The Eagles (4-1) start play in another tournament, this time at Mission

Viejo High School, Monday.

EL DORADO TOURNAMENTThird Place Game

Estancia 41, Canyon 37

Estancia 16 6 9 10 - 41

Canyon 10 7 11 9 - 37

Estancia: Cassity 17, Byfield 6, Matsufuji 0, Hirata 4, Avalos 2, Barrera

1, Lenhart 6, Orellana 2, Rodriguez 3.

3-pt goals: Lenhart 2, Rodriguez 1, Cassity 1.

Fouled Out: None.

Technicals: None.

Canyon: Swank 0, Ito 4, Christian 5, Serrano 3, Thompson 7, Takehara 6,

Abifadel 7, Canada 5.

3-pt goals: Christian 1, Takehara 1.

Fouled Out: None.

Technicals: None.