Boys basketball: Spigner steps up for Tars

Barry Faulkner

ANAHEIM - Newport Harbor High seniors Tony Melum and Aaron Yarnal

were like a couple old golfing buddies Thursday afternoon -- just looking

for a third and fourth.

That was the case on the offensive end, anyway, as the two boys

basketball scoring weapons produced all but one of the Sailors’ points

through three quarters in a Holiday Basketball Classic quarterfinal clash

with Magnolia at the Anaheim Convention Center.

But, fortunately for Coach Larry Hirst’s Tars, senior forward Jordan

Spigner and junior point guard Greg Perrine contributed a combined 10

points in the fourth period to fuel a seesaw 41-37 victory.

The win improved Newport to 8-1 and set up a semifinal meeting with

unbeaten El Toro, tonight at 6:20 p.m. at the same site. El Toro (8-0)

defeated the Tars, 53-41, in the final of the Bill Reynolds Classic

Saturday.

Spigner, whom Hirst, coming into the season, said would need to to

step up and produce this year, scored all seven of his points in the

final eight minutes to tie his varsity career high.

The 6-foot-4 reserve sank a layup with 7:38 remaining for the first

Harbor field goal not provided by Melum or Yarnal. Spigner then drained

the Sailors’ only three-pointer with 6:13 left to trigger a 12-0 run that

spanned six minutes.

After his two buckets, Spigner collected assists on two Melum field

goals, the second of which tied the game at 34 with 3:30 left.

Two Melum free throws, as well as a layin and free throw by Perrine,

put the Tars up, 39-34, with 21 seconds left, before Magnolia (3-5)

closed the gap on a three-pointer with 13 seconds remaining.

Spigner, however, iced the victory by hitting both ends of a

one-and-one free-throw situation with 12 ticks left.

“I love to play in the fourth quarter,” Spigner said. “I feel more

focused.”

Melum and Yarnal were focused throughout. The 6-6 Melum collected 18

points and 12 rebounds, while Yarnal added 12 points, five boards and two

assists.

Yarnal and Perrine also drew praise from Hirst for their defensive

work on Magnolia scoring standouts Geoffrey Clayton and Roneal Bryant.

Yarnal covered Clayton, a returning first-team All-CIF Southern

Section Division II-A performer, who finished with a team-high 15.

Perrine stuck to Bryant, who wound up with 14.

“Those guys have been averaging between 20 and 25 points apiece,”

Hirst said, “so I was very pleased with Aaron and Greg’s defense.”

Magnolia outscored the Sailors, 20-10, in the third quarter to its

their first lead, but managed just three points the final 6:32 to drop

into the fifth-place semifinal.

Tars’ freshman starter Jamie Diefenbach missed his second straight

game due to illness.

HOLIDAY BASKETBALL CLASSIC

Quarterfinal

Newport Harbor 41, Magnolia 37

Score by Quarters

Newport Harbor 8 7 10 16 - 41

Magnolia 2 10 20 5 - 37

Newport Harbor - Melum 18, Yarnal 12, Spigner 7, Perrine 3, Pajevic 1,

Peterson 0, Young 0, Cameron 0.

3-pt. goals - Spigner 1.

Fouled out - None.

Technicals - None.

Magnolia - Clayton 15, Bryant 14, Coleman 6, Diaz 2.

3-pt. goals - Clayton 1, Bryant 1.

Fouled out - None.

Technicals - None.