Boys basketball: Sailors take control of Sea View

Tony Altobelli

ALISO VIEJO - Newport Harbor High boys basketball coach Larry Hirst

has been telling Sean Rorden to “get selfish and shoot a little more.”

Rorden was downright impolite Friday night, scoring 17 points, including

five three-pointers as the Sailors (15-6, 4-0 in league) downed Aliso

Niguel, 69-53, in a crucial Sea View League matchup.

“I’ve been telling him to shoot the jumper when he’s open and boy, he was

on fire tonight,” Hirst said. “He really hit some big baskets for us.”

Aaron Yarnal led the Tars with 20 points, including 6 for 6 from the

free-throw line in the fourth quarter and Dustin Illingworth chipped in

with 16.

“The toughest part about playing Aliso is not only that it’s a new team

to learn, but their coach always has them ready to play,” Hirst said.

“These guys are probably the only team smaller than us and they can

really shoot the ball.”

Unfortunately for the Wolverines, foul trouble kept one of their

long-range bombers, Ryann Ross, from getting into any kind of rhythm.

“Our plan was to attack their hot shooters and try to get them into foul

trouble,” Hirst said.

Ross still managed to score 17 points to lead Aliso (11-9, 2-2).

But it was Rorden with the hot hand early, draining three treys and

helping the Sailors, ranked No. 9 in CIF Southern Section, Division II-A,

jump out to a seven-point lead.

Illingworth was 4 for 4 from the free-throw line as the Sailors

controlled the first quarter. After a Yarnal buzzer-beater, the Tars led,

19-10.

Yarnal had the big plays in the second quarter. After Aliso cut the lead

to six, Yarnal stemmed the rally with a three-point play and also drained

a three-pointer at the buzzer.

His second buzzer-beater of the game and fourth in the past two league

games, gave Newport an eight-point lead at halftime.

“When that situation takes place, he knows what he has to do and he

really steps up the concentration,” Hirst said. “My goal is to get him to

play with that focus all the time.”

Ross, who was held to six points in the first half, found his three-point

touch, but with an eight-point lead, the Tars traded hoops with the

Wolverines and led by nine after three.

Hirst saw a much more intense ball club, which might have been a result

of Wednesday’s heartbreaking loss to Estancia.

“After the Estancia game, I think that got our guys’ attention,” Hirst

said. “Sometimes it takes a game like that to get the heart pumping

again.”

Early in the fourth quarter, two Ross free throws and a three-pointer by

Sievers cut Newport’s lead down to four, but the Wolverines could get no

closer.

Sophomore Greg Perrine converted a three-point play to return the lead to

seven with 5:30 remaining.

After a Ross trey brought the lead back to four, Rorden’s fifth

three-pointer of the game with 4:40 remaining, seemed to break the spirit

of Aliso.

From there it was a matter of hitting free throws, which Yarnal and

Perrine both did. The duo was 12 for 13 from the line in the final eight

minutes.

Ross fouled out of the game with 2:32 left and a late 8-0 run sent the

game out of reach.

The win was the 99th of Hirst’s career. “Someone told me that before the

game and I told him to get a life,” Hirst said with a laugh. “Why would

anyone research that?”

With the win, the Sailors are a game up on Woodbridge and they have the

edge in the tiebreaker, but Hirst is still cautious.

“We could have easily been 1-2 going into tonight’s game,” he said. “We

were fortunate to pull out a couple on the road and now we have to take

care of business at home in the second half. We know it won’t be easy

because now they’ll be gunning at us.”

Newport will travel to Irvine High Friday at 7:30 p.m. to continue league

play.

SEA VIEW LEAGUE

Newport Harbor 69, Aliso Niguel 54

Newport Harbor 19 13 15 22 - 69

Aliso Niguel 10 14 14 16 - 54

Newport Harbor - Yarnal 20, Rorden 17, Illingworth 16, Perrine 10,

Reynolds 3, Melum 3, Martin 0, Knutti 0, Staudenmann 0, Cook 0.

3 pt. goals - Rorden 5, Yarnal 1.

Fouled out - None.

Aliso Niguel - Ross 17, Sievers 14, Zanolli 10, Chambers 10, Ebel 2,

Alconcel 1.

3 pt. goals - Ross 3, Sievers 1.

Fouled out - Ross, Hefty.