DAILY PILOT HIGH SCHOOL FEMALE ATHELTE OF THE WEEK:Gentling transforms Mustangs

When the fourth quarter begins Amy Gentling transforms.

The change is slight because Gentling is only a sophomore and in her first year on the Costa Mesa High girls’ varsity basketball team, but it is still apparent. The defensive intensity is picked up, the shooting is smoother and her motor never registers empty.

As the Mustangs’ shooting guard, the reliance on Gentling to score increases exponentially when the game is on the line.

And Gentling, the Daily Pilot Female Athlete of the Week, has been an integral part in the Mustangs’ resurgence heading into Orange Coast League play. Gentling has scored in double digits in three of the past four games and Costa Mesa has won three in a row, its longest streak of the season.

Mustangs Coach Jim Weeks has preached fourth-quarter play and Mesa (7-8) has responded, outscoring opponents, 43-27, over the three-game stretch.

“He says ‘The fourth quarter is where you step it up. It’s a very crucial part of the game,’ ” Gentling said. “The fourth quarter is the main point of the game. I just push myself. I don’t think about being tired. It’s tough sometimes.”

Against former Golden West League rival Ocean View on Thursday, Gentling scored seven of her team-high 13 points in the fourth quarter as the Mustangs outscored Ocean View, 10-5, in the final eight minutes for the comeback victory.

The success is a result of hard work. Gentling anticipated making the varsity roster this season, so she took postseason conditioning in the spring to work on her shooting. She has developed a favorite shooting spot, near the corner.

Against Ocean View in the fourth quarter Gentling nailed a three-pointer from the corner to tie the score.

“We would do a lot of shooting drills,” Gentling said of her off-season training. “It’s a lot easier now. In practice I try to go the same pace as the game. I don’t really think about shooting when I’m shooting. This year I noticed I was being more consistent.”

The dedication isn’t limited to just the gym. Gentling regularly runs with her 4-year old beagle, Chuey, and her twin sister, Dana. On the rare occasion Amy Gentling is lacking in motivation, Dana Gentling, who is a defender on the Mustangs’ soccer team, is there to pick her up.

“She pushes me to run faster,” Amy Gentling said. “She’ll say I’m lazy and I’m slow and to keep running faster. She has more endurance from soccer. We’re really close, closer than normal siblings.”

Weeks also supplied motivation. Following last season, Gentling said he told her of how she has stepped up her play and the importance of her continuing to do so.

“He told me to keep working on my shot,” Gentling said.

Weeks said Gentling’s perimeter play and her intelligence of when and where to shoot is a major reason for the impact she has made in her first varsity season.

“She’s smart in the shots she takes,” Weeks said. “She potentially could be a great player. She’s mature for her age. I love the way she handles shooting. She’s very basketball knowledgeable.”

Gentling said the juniors and seniors on the Mustangs quickly accepted her. As one of two sophomores on the team, she has made the transition to a new level of play easier.

“We just hung out and played over the summer,” Gentling said. “We had tournaments and sleepovers so I got to know them well. I felt comfortable.”

Now comes the start of Orange Coast League play and more fourth-quarter transformations to make.