DIVISION III-AA ROUNDUP : Estancia Gets Scare, Escapes With Victory

Newbury Park had enough fourth-quarter magic to give Estancia a scare Friday night, but in the end, the No. 2-seeded Eagles were able to pull out a 54-44 victory in a Division III-AA boys’ quarterfinal at Corona del Mar High.

Newbury Park, which won its second-round game Tuesday by outscoring Foothill, 21-7, in the fourth quarter, seemed to be making a similar run against Estancia, putting together an 11-1 spurt that cut a 14-point deficit to four with 5 minutes 22 seconds remaining.

The Panthers’ press had forced consecutive turnovers, and then Bryant Fick was fouled and sent to the free-throw line with a chance to cut the lead to two.

“They had us reeling,” Estancia Coach Tim O’Brien said. “But then they missed those two free throws and gave us breathing room.”

Estancia center Matt Fuerbringer followed Fick’s misses with a three-point play, which gave the Eagles a 44-37 lead with 4:16 to play, and the Panthers never threatened again.

Estancia (22-6), the defending State Division III champion, advanced to play Compton Centennial in the semifinals Tuesday.

Newbury Park (14-11) entered the game as a decided underdog. The Panthers have only two players as tall as 6-4 while Estancia starts four players at least that tall.

Fuerbringer had a game-high 28 points and 12 rebounds despite being the focal point of Newbury Park’s defense. He also added four blocks, including three in the fourth quarter.