Newport falls to Fountain Valley rally

Joseph Boo

FOUNTAIN VALLEY - Fountain Valley High’s Casey Clark hit a

three-pointer with 29 seconds left to cap off a wild back-and-forth

battle with visiting Newport Harbor Tuesday night in nonleague boys

basketball, and it lifted the Barons to a 48-45 victory.

The Sailors (5-4) had a chance to win and tie on its last two shots

respectively, but a backcourt violation and a hooking foul dashed their

hopes.

Newport Harbor held Fountain Valley (8-3) to 16 points in the first half

on 8-for-17 shooting. Aaron Yarnal had 10 points in that half, and Dustin

Illingworth scored six, including two off an alley-oop dunk.

“In the first half, we played very well,” Newport Harbor Coach Larry

Hirst said. “In the second half, we didn’t.”

Fountain Valley doubled its offensive output in the second half. The

Barons’ first three baskets were three-pointers. Newport held onto the

lead as Illingworth, who totaled 15 points, scored four consecutive

times, drawing a triple team at one point.

But Fountain Valley eventually took the lead at the start of the

fourth quarter.

“We made mental mistakes,” Hirst said, “and they started hitting their

shots.”

Yarnal, who led the Sailors with 22 points, scored all of Newport’s 12

points in the fourth quarter, including two three-pointers. His jumper

with 3:43 left tied the game at 43.

It was scoreless for the next three minutes, then Yarnal got a steal and

a layup to put Newport up by two. Clark answered with his three to give

the Barons a one-point lead, and Newport then turned the ball over twice

to seal its own fate.

Harbor hosts Huntington Beach tonight at 7.

NONLEAGUE

Fountain Valley 48, Newport Harbor 45

Newport Harbor 14 7 12 12 - 45

Fountain Valley 8 8 16 16 - 48

Newport Harbor - Reynolds 0, Perrine 5, Yarnal 22, Rorden 0, Illingworth

15, Melum 3, Cook 0, Jordan 0, Knutti 0, Martin 0.

3 pt. goals - Yarnal 3, Perrine 1.

Fouled Out - None.

Technicals - None.

fountain Valley - Syed 6, Morris 6, Pratt 0, Cotter 7, Dailey 2, Edmunds

5, Clark 12, Fendon 10, Ball 0, Torres 0.

3 pt. goals - Fendon 2, Clark 2, Cotter 1.

Fouled Out - None.

Technicals - None.