Mustangs' Season Ends in Heartbreak 55-54 to Royal

Mira Costa was 16 seconds from an improbable quarterfinal run Friday night, falling 55-54 on a three-pointer from Royal High School’s J.R. Powell.

“We played a heck of a game, they just got open for that three and we couldn’t answer,” senior Thomas Johnson said.

The Mustangs spotted Royal ten points to begin the game with Elliott Ozer’s first bucket coming with 2:45 in the first quarter to get the Mustangs on the board.

“It was a rough start, but we knew if we kept working and stuck to the game plan we would get back in it,” Ozer said.

The Mustangs would look to Ozer in the end with four seconds left, trailing by one, on an inbounds play coming underneath their basket, hoping to pull out a victory.

Senior Tom Farrell tried a bounce pass in traffic to Ozer who up-picked for teammate Karl Acres then sealed but was unable to corral the pass that was broken up.

“It was there, they just got a hand on it,” Ozer said.

Acres came out of the fray and was unable to get off a desperation shot as he tangled with an opposing Highlander player and didn't draw a whistle from the officials.

“It was a call we don’t normally run, but the guys wanted to go with it and we were hoping to get a layup or foul for Elliott,” head coach Henry Myar said.

The Mustangs played the last 3:10 without their ultra-productive center who fouled out. Johnson scored seven straight points to close the third quarter to pull the team within two at 39-37.

“Usually Thomas doesn’t always fare as well against big length, but he sure did a great job tonight,” Myar said.

Not being on the court for the final minutes of the game was tough for Johnson, he said.

"I was getting some good position, out-muscling their big guy and getting some close baskets in the second half,” Johnson said.

In the fourth, Cooper Pugnale and Royal’s Max McCoy would duel from long distance with Pugnale knocking down two 3-pointers and McCoy catching fire with three.

As the lead flip-flopped throughout the final quarter, Ozer added ten points, including a three to put the Mustangs ahead late in the fourth.

With 31 second left, Ozer was fouled and made one of two free throws, giving the Mustangs a 54-52 lead.

“We played fine, we just missed some free throws and some shots didn’t go and that pretty much was the difference,” Ozer said.

Mira Costa struggled late at the line, going 2 for 5 in the final minute, a reversal of fortune from their 6 of 7 performance in Wednesday’s upset of San Bernardino.

“We had the right people shooting the free throws, we just didn’t knock them down,” Myar said.

The Mustangs' fate was sealed, when, out of a time-out, Powell stepped into a three pointer at the top of the arc for his first make of the second half with 16 seconds left to reclaim the lead for Royal.

The perimeter-oriented Highlanders connected on eight threes, Powell scoring all 12 of his points from behind the arc. McCoy and Nick Creber led Royal with 16 points each.

“Their main two guys were the guys that could beat us and we did a pretty good job on them until the end, but Powell got loose and hit the shot,” Myar said.

Three Mustangs reached double figures, with Ozer scoring 16, Johnson adding 15 along with 13 rebounds and point-guard Cole Feaster contributing 14.

“A couple made baskets here and there and it’s a totally different season for us,” Johnson said.

“This is the hardest playing 10-win team I’ve ever seen," Myar said. "They fought through adversity and distraction and were that close to the quarterfinals.”