Esperanza uses 14-0 run to get past Canyon
YORBA LINDA - For three quarters Esperanza couldn't put the ball through the net consistently and found itself in a big hole against Century League rival Canyon.
Once the fourth quarter came around, though, it was a completely different story.
Esperanza trailed by 11 points going into the final period, but the Aztecs started the quarter with a 14-0 run and went on to beat the Comanches, 42-38.
The Century League is back to being a virtual three-way tie between Foothill, Canyon and Esperanza.
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"One of the goals I had when I took over the program was to win a league title," Esperanza coach Mark Hill said, "and with this victory we are another step closer to that."
It was the Jojo Ballestero show for the first three quarters, but Esperanza (16-8, 8-3) shut down the Canyon star in the last period, holding him to only two free throws. He finished with 18 points.
The Aztecs began their fourth-quarter run with stellar defense as Canyon (19-6, 7-3) settled for outside jumpers and threw the ball away numerous times.
In the fourth quarter Hill had Nathan Kuan guard Ballestero, and Kuan wound up being a sparkplug for the Aztecs. He scored four points and had a hand in numerous big plays, including a steal and assist to Jack Bazan on 3-pointer that gave the Aztecs the lead.
"After those terrible three quarters we had to change some stuff up and brought in some different people who really got us rolling," Hill said.
The Comanches scored their only points in the fourth on free throws - two by Ballestero and two by Anthony Bates.
Canyon did have their chances though. Anthony Ballestero missed a wide open three with less than a 30 seconds to play and that all but sealed the outcome.
Bazan led Esperanza with 17 points, including 11 in the second half.
