Sailors take seventh

The Newport Harbor High girls basketball team came on strong in

thesecond half to earn a 44-41 victory over Tustin in the seventh-place

game of the Costa Mesa Winter Classic at Costa Mesa High Saturday.

The Sailors had a five-point lead with under a minute left, but Tustin

hit a three-pointer to cut Newport’s lead to 43-41. Athena Vasquez was

fouled and hit one of two free throws with five seconds left to secure

the win for the Sailors (3-13).

“We were a little bit down in the first half,” Newport Coach Jen

Thompson said. “We came out and didn’t have intensity, but we came out in

the second and our intensity was good. We were rebounding better and

getting good shots on offense.”

Jillianne Whitfield scored 12 points to lead the Sailors. Also

contributing on offense were Vasquez (nine points) and Kelly Rangel

(seven points).

The Sailors played the second half without senior Evita Castillo, who

was injured early in the game.

“She heard a pop in her ankle,” Thompson said. “We think it might be a

bad sprain.”

Stepping up on defense for the Sailors were Lindsey Woller and Rangel.

“Woller did an excellent job on defense in the second half,” Thompson

said. “She was rebounding left and right in the fourth quarter and Rangel

was doing a good job of guarding the bigger people and hustling.”

Costa Mesa Winter Classic

Seventh place game

Newport Harbor 44, Tustin 41

Score by Quarters

Tustin 12 11 9 9 - 41

Newport Harbor 7 14 13 10 - 44

Tustin - Takapu 6, Wall 5, Curtis 3, Gardner 5, Car 5, Brinson 17.

3-pt. goals - Gardner.

Fouled out - none.

Technicals - none.

Newport - Campbell 2, Whitfield 12, Castillo 2, Vasquez 9, Woller 5,

Swigart 0, Stoltz 5, Miller 2, Fulce 0, Rangel 7, Linsday 0.

3-pt. goals - Whitfield 2.

Fouled out - Campell.

Technicals - none.