Fired-up Eagles trounce Cavaliers

GARDEN GROVE — After the game, Abby Koff told Estancia High girls’ basketball coach Tommy Rausch how happy she was to be on the winning side of a blowout.

With a 49-25 nonleague victory over Santiago Monday, the Eagles won by 20 or more points for the second time this season. That’s something Estancia (5-7) didn’t do a single time last season, when it finished 3-20.

Estancia wants to see more blowouts this season. Rausch, in first year as coach, preaches for his team to play hard until the end, despite the score.

There are limits though. Rausch, an Estancia graduate, held up one of his players from attempting a three-point shot in the final seconds.

“If you’ve been on the other side, you know it’s not fun when the other team is shooting threes at the end,” Rausch said. “We don’t want to just win, we want to win with class.”

Senior point guard Yasmin Arroyo kept her hands in passing lanes on defense and on offense scored a team-high 11 points. No other player notched double figures, but 10 players scored for the Eagles.

Senior center Michelle Hallock had nine points.

Hallock and Arroyo agreed that a pregame speech from Rausch spurred them to victory.

“He talked about our identity,” Hallock said. “He talked about not giving up for 32 minutes. And if we lose, it’s not because we didn’t try, it’s because the other team is talented.”

Arroyo added: “Afterward we knew we had to play hard. I felt the intensity.”

Rausch, formerly an assistant for the boys’ team, said it was the first time he gave an impassioned pregame speech this season and it was a rare occurrence in general. But Rausch said the Eagles’ practice on Thursday was not up to standard and a 47-37 victory over Bolsa Grande on Friday had the feel of going through the motions.

With Estancia’s Orange Coast League opener against Calvary Chapel looming on Friday, Rausch felt it was time for a different approach.

“I’m not a big rah-rah guy,” Rausch said. “I talked about how the rest of the year we want to compete.”

Above each of the players’ lockers is a comic with trophies labeled woulda, coulda and shoulda, then a larger trophy above them with the word did.

“We want to focus on what we did,” Rausch said. “And we want it to be competing and playing hard.”

As for pregame speeches, there could be more in the future.

“We’re going to do it until it doesn’t work,” Rausch said.

Rausch said the second half is when the team clicked. Santiago (5-11) had closed the first half with a 6-0 run to cut the lead to 19-14. The second half was all Eagles as they outscored Santiago, 30-11.

Arroyo pushed the defense into high gear by continuing to take up residence in the passing lanes. To open the third quarter, Arroyo stole a pass then zipped it ahead to junior Tiffany Monteiro for a layup. Five times, an Arroyo steal led to a basket for the Eagles.

“I just anticipate the passes and try to get the ball,” Arroyo said. “We have a lot of fast players.”

Senior Alondra Barrera continued the defensive tenacity, stealing a pass then delivering one to Arroyo for the layup.

Estancia scored eight fast-break points in a 13-2 run to open the second half.

Hallock had two assists in the run, delivering a pass to Monteiro under the basket for a three-point play, then another to senior forward Tamisha Williams to finish a fast break.

“This is the last chance for the senior is ‘07,” Hallock said. “Our chemistry is going way up. Our coaches are really helping.”

Rausch said his two assistant coaches, Xavy Castellano and Bryan Jimenez, played a big part in helping the team adjust to a new coaching staff so quickly.

“It helps out a lot having them,” Rausch said.

Nonleague

Estancia 49, Santiago 25

Score by Quarters

Estancia

12

7

15

15

— 49

Santiago

6

8

7

4

— 25

Estancia -- Ramirez 2, Carr 3, Monteiro 5, Koff 6, Arroyo 11, Millan 2, Williams 3, Hallock 9, Barrera 6, You 2.

3-pt. goals -- Barrera 2.

Fouled out -- None.

Technicals -- None.

Santiago -- Dole 2, Delgadillo 2, Vo 2, Nguyen 5, Le 4, Moss 8, Arroyo 2.

3-pt. goals -- Nguyen 1.

Fouled out -- None.