Acres (6’5”), senior guard Cooper Pugnale (6’0”) and sophomore forward Justin Strings (6’3”) provided a strong rebounding crew for a Mira Costa team that routed Pacifica Christian 74-37 on Wednesday.
Oliver Mausner scored a team-high 13 points, Kevin Kim added 12 points, Feaster tallied 10 points and Will Isozaki chipped in with nine points for the Mustangs who faced Brentwood Thursday in the final pool play game for both teams.
Mira Costa could not hold onto a seven-point lead in the second half, however, and fell to Brentwood 56-55.
Kim led the Mustangs with 18 points, five rebounds and two steals, Feaster added 13 points and Keith Waddell recorded 10 points and seven rebounds.
Mira Costa advanced to play Culver City in the third-place game Saturday and defeated the Centaurs 66-63 behind Feaster’s 18 points and Acres’ 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Mira Costa will host Torrance on Tuesday and Campbell Hall on Friday, Dec. 9. Both games are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. tip-offs.
Inglewood Tournament of Champions
Even before the girls from Mira Costa had their first possession of the season in their non-league game against South Torrance last week, the team must have felt it was already playing catch up.
Just one day before their 2011-12 campaign begun, the Mustangs were informed they would be playing for their third coach in a month’s time.
After popular head coach Craig Takahashi abruptly resigned on Oct. 19, Mira Costa scrambled to find a new head coach and hired Trenton Jackson, who seemed to fit the bill.
Jackson had amassed a 145-63 record while winning six Sunshine League championships and a 2007 Division 4 State title in seven years as head coach at Marlborough High School in Los Angeles.
But as quickly as Jackson came to the beach city campus, it seemed he was gone. Jackson cited the long commute that would take time away from his children as the reason for declining the job offer.
Without any practice time under her belt, Miranda Biteler was named the new head coach for Mira Costa and the following day the Mustangs regrouped. With only two seniors on its roster and no set plays, Mira Costa gave the Spartans a battle in a 50-47 loss.
Ashley Reese led Mira Costa with 12 points and freshman forward Meghan Peneueta recorded nine points and seven rebounds. Camille Mills and Haley Tojo also had strong performances for the Mustangs.
This is the first head coaching job for Biteler, 27, who played Division III basketball at the University of Wisconsin at River Falls. The Minnesota native resides in Redondo Beach and is a professional trainer.
It didn’t take long for Bitleter to earn her first win. In its opening round game of the Inglewood Tournament of Champions, the resilient young Mira Costa team defeated Reseda 63-51 Tuesday.
Led by Mills’ 13-point, six-rebound performance, the Mustangs gained valuable confidence going into their second pool-play game Wednesday against Long Beach Jordan, a team that was looking for payback after the Mustangs defeated the Panthers 56-51 in the first round of the playoffs last season.
Once again, Mira Costa came out on top. Scoring all of her nine points on three trifectas, Keilani Ikehara led the Mustangs to a 45-26 win. Shaylyn Austin added eight points and Reese scored six for the Mustangs.
Mira Costa fell to St. Bernard 68-53 in a bracket game Friday before losing to Bay League rival Peninsula 58-39 in the consolation championship of the Platinum Division on Saturday. Peneueta led the Mustangs with 15 points and Ikehara added eights points.
Redondo opened its season on a winning note with a 49-41 victory over Centennial in an Inglewood Tournament of Champions pool play game.
Junior forward Inara Nyingifa recorded 15 points and six steals to lead Redondo while senior point guard Annie Park contributed 10 points and seven assists for the Sea Hawks.
Redondo concluded pool play Wednesday with a 48-44 loss to Muir. The Sea Hawks were led by Park, who recorded 15 points. Brittany Stafford added 10 points and Inara Nyingifa scored seven points in the losing effort.
On Thursday, the Sea Hawks fell in the opening round of bracket play losing to host Inglewood 56-51.
Inara Nyingifa scored a team-high 21 points, Stafford added 12 points, Park recorded eight points including two 3-pointers, and Taylor Smith chipped in with six points.
After defeating South Torrance 64-46 behind Nyingifa’s 24-point, 10 rebound performance on Friday, Redondo took fifth place in the Silver Division the following day when Stafford put in a lay up with four second remaining to give the Sea Hawks a 36-35 win over Long Beach Wilson.
Stafford finished with nine points and seven rebounds, Park had seven points and four steals and Nyingifa added seven points 10 rebounds for Redondo who will host the Battle At The Beach tournament Monday, Dec. 5 through Saturday, Dec. 10.
Game results are available at www.maxpreps.com.
