Irvine had to hit the road for their first game and it wasn't the result they were hoping for. They fell to the Costa Mesa Mustangs 62-56. The Vaqueros were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Mustangs apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in November of 2023.
Irvine's loss on Friday came despite strong showings from Cooper Stearns and Ali Dal. Stearns dropped a double-double on 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Dal went 7 for 12 en route to 16 points plus seven rebounds and six assists. The dominant performance gave Dal a new career-high in assists. Another player making a difference was Jalen Yim, who posted seven points.
Costa Mesa's win was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 1-1.
Irvine has already played their next matchup, a 60-38 victory against Brea Olinda on the 23rd. As for Costa Mesa, they will be taking part in a tournament against Foothill at 7:30 p.m. on Monday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
