Costa Fades in Summer League Loss to University

Mira Costa High started off strong. The Mustangs attacked the paint and drew a lot of fouls in building a lead through the first half, with junior center Thomas Johnson scoring 13 first half points.

But the University High Trojans were able to work their way back, creating turnovers and hitting their outside shots, and pulled out a 52-46 victory on Saturday in a summer league game at Lawndale High.

The turnovers were the main problem for the Mustangs, who had a 27-22 lead at halftime and had difficulty stopping the Trojans' scoring runs.

 "In the long run, we look to handle the ball better, and stay more consistent with our energy and intensity," said junior forward Elliott Ozer, who led the Mustangs with 18 points. 

Costa had long stretches where it didn't score much, and frequently came out of those slumps with high-energy bursts of points. But those lulls cost them the game.

"I like how we started off strong,'' Ozer said. ''This game will be a good example of how we can improve and adjust for the future. This is a truly a building block for us. We now know that we can play with tenacity, but we have to keep out turnovers down and handle the ball better."

Ozer scored 13 of his 18 points in the second half, as he tried to help Costa with a late run in the second half.  Johnson finished with 14 points, while freshman point guard Cole Feaster had seven points and sophomore guard Cooper Pugnale tacked on five for the Mustangs.