No Comeback for Costa in Hilltop Classic Loss

Scoring droughts and too much Brendon Yamada downed Mira Costa High on Saturday.

Yamada scored a game-high 20 points as West Torrance beat the Mustangs 61-45 to take third place in the Hilltop Classic at Palos Verdes.

The Warriors never trailed and turned back Costa each time it attempted to rally.

"As my team has done a number of times before, unfortunately, they've gotten down. But, fortunately, they've been able to come back," Coach Henry Myar said. "But when you're battling back from 13 all of the time, you finally run out of energy."

Case in point was in the fourth quarter. After being down by as many as 15 points in the third quarter, Mira Costa cut the margin to eight (41-33) entering the final period. A 3-pointer by guard Cole Feaster, who led the Mustangs with 16 points, pulled Mira Costa within six at 44-38 with 6:25 remaining. But five consecutive points by the Warriors iced the rally and the Mustangs (4-5) never again got any closer than nine points.

West Torrance's ability to convert scoring opportunities was the difference.

"They were nine of 12 from the (free throw) line and we were one for six," Myar said. "It's not really the number of free throws, but it's the momentum change when you're missing free throws in the fourth quarter. We just missed them. I thought that hurt our momentum."

Asked if fatigue had any bearing on the Mustangs' faltering, Myar grinned. "What do coaches say, 'They're kids, they're not supposed to get tired,'" he joked.

Myar did get weary of watching Yamada control the contest.

When the West Torrance point guard wasn't dishing to teammates for baskets, he created his own shots by frequently darting past Mira Costa defenders and hitting floaters in the lane. And when he wasn't doing that, he nailed jumpers from the perimeter.

"Yamada is tremendous," Myar said.

Yamada's 3-point basket with 6:15 to play in the second quarter gave West Torrance (5-4) the lead for good at 13-10. His bucket also was the start of a 17-4 run by the Warriors -- Mira Costa managed just one field goal in the final six minutes of the quarter -- allowing West Torrance to take a 27-14 lead at the half.

Turnovers also plagued the Mustangs -- they consistently made sloppy passes.

But they showed some life in the third quarter, when they cut the Warriors' lead to eight after a 3-pointer by Elliott Ozer near the end of the quarter.

Mira Costa never got over the hump, though, and faded down the stretch.

"We just didn't play well," said forward Thomas Johnson, who finished with nine points and 12 rebounds, but was forced to work for many of his points because of the presence of West Torrance's 6-foot-8 center Shawn Ray. "Our chemistry just hasn't been right so far this season."

Myar agreed.

"I think we can be very competitive, but we need to improve over the next couple of weeks," Myar said. "We've got some talent, but we just haven't blended that talent with the new guys and played as a unit. We haven't blended right. I think when we do that will make a big difference."