“I didn’t pay attention,” said Figueroa, who finished with game-highs of 22 points, 17 rebounds and seven steals. “You’re going to get that a lot. They’re just hating. They’re jealous.”
Opponents of Costa Mesa, it turns out, have plenty to be jealous about. The Mustangs clinched their second straight outright league title by winning at Laguna Beach, 62-51, in an emotionally charged game.
Costa Mesa (17-8, 7-1 in league) also avenged its only league loss. The Breakers (9-12, 5-3) had shocked Mesa in the teams’ last league meeting, 59-58, on Jan. 25.
“They beat us at home by one, and we just wanted to come back here and pound them,” said Mesa senior Denise Rosello, who buried a trio of three-pointers in the first half.
It was in that first half that Rosello and Kathy Trinh did the most damage, combining for all 17 of their points and five three-pointers. The last one, Rosello’s from the corner with 15 seconds left in the half, gave the Mustangs, ranked No. 5 in the CIF Southern Section Division IV-AA coaches’ poll, a 37-19 lead over the No. 11 Breakers.
“That’s big,” Costa Mesa Coach Jim Weeks said. “If they’re hitting, then it opens it up and makes them spread out the court. That gives Michelle that lane to get that penetration.”
Figueroa got to the basket numerous times in the second half, even as the same Laguna Beach fans protested that some of their defensive fouls should have been charges.
She finished the game a perfect 10 of 10 from the free-throw line, part of a 19-of-20 Mustangs’ effort.
