Mesa swarms to victory

COSTA MESA — Itzel Flores is in her second year playing girls’ basketball at Costa Mesa High. Wherever the ball is, she’s usually around it.

Without hesitation, she dives for loose balls. When the ball isn’t with the Mustangs, she pokes it away from the opposition.

If that fails, Flores tries to rip it away, using all her might until an official blows the whistle. The 5-foot-6 junior is relentless on the court.

The energy is rubbing off on teammates.

Flores’ hustle play was on full display Monday. She and the Mustangs frustrated visiting Sage Hill School for the entire nonleague game. The Lightning finished with more turnovers than points in Costa Mesa’s 43-27 victory.

Nine games into the season, the Mustangs have matched last season’s five wins. The success has a lot to do with the team’s intensity and a new head coach, Nichole Maddox.

Maddox is fiery on the bench. She rarely sits, preferring to encourage her defenders to pressure whoever has the ball.

The strategy worked for Costa Mesa (5-4) Monday and Flores played a vital role. She finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and seven steals.

Sage Hill committed 35 turnovers.

Getting the ball past midcourt was an issue for the Lightning (2-2) at the start. Nine times Sage Hill turned the ball over in the first quarter.

Six of those were because Flores stole the ball. She totaled as many steals as the Lightning had points in the first eight minutes.

“I count on her for defense,” said Maddox, who needed the defense after watching Costa Mesa struggle shooting the ball in the first half.

The Mustangs went into halftime ahead, 22-14. They missed far too many shots, connecting on just eight of 37.

Sage Hill managed to attempt about half as many shots as Costa Mesa did in the first half. Twenty turnovers didn’t help the offense get into any rhythm.

“We’re young,” said Sage Hill Coach Lou Silverman, who’s starting a freshman, sophomore, junior, and two seniors. “We’re just putting the pieces back together. In terms of basketball experience, it’s a young five, and my bench is almost all freshmen.”

Despite the youth movement, Silverman isn’t calling this season a rebuilding one.

Silverman said he doesn’t like to use the term. It sure looks like Sage Hill is starting over after he led the program to a share of the Academy League title last season.

The one consistent player so far has been Hannah Jeffrey. The senior is grabbing double-digit rebounds in practically every game.

The forward finished with 15 rebounds against Costa Mesa. She missed out on a double-double after finishing with nine points, to go along with five blocks.

At times, Jeffrey reminds some of Tierney Danner, last year’s Newport-Mesa Dream Team Player of the Year and Sage Hill’s all-time leading scorer. With Danner lost to graduation, Jeffrey will have to shoulder the load at both ends of the floor.

She tried to offensively in the second half, scoring seven points. With the backcourt’s inability to push the ball up, Jeffrey’s touches in the paint were low.

The Mustangs took control of the game in the second half. Annie Sturm, a transfer from Fairbanks, Alaska, sparked a 15-5 run by hitting a jumper and then a three-pointer in the corner.

Maddox was relieved her team hit back-to-back outside shots for the first time. Sturm’s three-pointer was the team’s first successful one after it missed six. Sturm finished with nine points, five rebounds and five steals.

Costa Mesa senior guard Olivia Scheidt is glad Sturm is with the Mustangs after Costa Mesa went winless in Orange Coast League competition last season.

“She’s a huge help,” said Scheidt, who finished with 13 points. “We [didn’t] have a real point guard and now we do.”

Nonleague

Costa Mesa 43, Sage Hill 27

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Sage Hill – Jeffrey 9, Derheim 7, Schaus 4, Bolen 2, Astorino 2, Soleimany 2, Herrada 1.

3-pt. goals – None.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.

Costa Mesa – Scheidt 13, Flores 11, Sturm 9, Gordon 6, Armstrong 4.

3-pt. goals – Scheidt 1, Sturm 1.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.