Boys basketball: Tars hammer Vaqs

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - Two days after a one-point Sea View League-opening

win over Aliso Niguel made the Newport Harbor High boys basketball team a

captive audience for Coach Larry Hirst, the Sailors took no prisoners

against visiting Irvine.

Putting virtually all facets of the game together, the Tars rolled to

an 87-47 league win to remain tied for first place with Woodbridge.

“I think (Wednesday’s narrow win) really woke them up,” Hirst said of

his players, who were locked onto Hirst’s instructions at Thursday’s

practice.

“I definitely had their ear more,” Hirst said. “We came up against the

same two-three zone Aliso used and, as a staff, we were very pleased with

our adjustments.”

With better spacing, crisper inside-outside passing and better

footwork on three-point jumpers, the Sailors (14-5, 2-0), ranked No. 8 in

Orange County, outscored the Vaqueros (7-11, 0-2) in every quarter.

Offense, including shooting 11 of 19 from three-point range (nearly

58%), wasn’t the only strong point for the winners. Newport also

smothered the smaller Vaqueros with defensive pressure, blocking 14

Irvine shots to help limit the visitors to 28.3% from the field (15 of

53).

“It’s ironic we blocked so many shots, because we went with a smaller

lineup, because I was concerned with their quickness,” Hirst said.

Smaller, however, is relative, as 6-foot-8 Harbor sophomore Jamie

Diefenbach (six blocks) and 6-6 senior Tony Melum (three blocks) both

started. Nedim Pajevic, a 6-8 junior, was the first Sailor off the bench,

collecting three blocks to go with his eight points and seven rebounds.

Irvine’s starting five averaged 6-0.

Melum finished with a game-high 19 points and nine rebounds, while

Diefenbach added six points, before joining the other starters, as well

as Pajevic, on the bench for the final eight minutes.

Senior point guard Greg Perrine chipped in 12 points, five rebounds,

five assists and three steals, while fellow senior Erik Peterson added 11

points, five rebounds, one block and two steals.

Starter Chase Cameron had four points and three assists, while Chad

Rorden and Ross Fortier each came off the bench to net a pair of

three-pointers.

Melum and Perrine also drained two from beyond the arc, while Pajevic,

Peterson and Collin Tully also connected from distance for the Tars.

Tully’s three-pointer in the final seconds gave Harbor its biggest lead

and finalized the scoring.

A season-high 13 players scored the for hosts, who have now beaten

Irvine five straight and 12 of 13.

The 40-point margin ties the Sailors’ season best, coming five games

after a 72-32 tournament victory in Alaska.

“We switched some things up from Wednesday,” Hirst said. “We had our

shooters in better spots and they had their feet set, ready to shoot. I

think our kids had more of a fire in their belly tonight. I think they

realize now that every game in this league can be a battle if we don’t

come ready to play.”

Harbor made a 9-0 run in the opening quarter, then punctuated the

second period with an 16-1 blitz, which included 10 straight points.

The Sailors finished 33 of 63 from the field (52.4%).

SEA VIEW LEAGUE BOYS

Newport Harbor 87, Irvine 47

Score by Quarters

Irvine 9 11 12 15 - 47

Newport Harbor 22 25 21 19 - 87

Irvine - Kuruvilla 7, Heider 9, Bailey 2, Johnson 4, Bradford 2,

Zolner 6, Kanis 5, Bright 5, Hafeman 3, Crawley 2, Nguyen 2.

3-pt. goals - Heider 3, Hafeman 1.

Fouled out - none.

Technicals - none.

Newport Harbor - Melum 19, Peterson 11, Diefenbach 6, Perrine 12,

Cameron 4, Pajevic 8, Rorden 6, Fortier 6, Boyd 4, Castillo 4, Tully 3,

Louvier 2, Glassic 2, Vandersloot 0, Rothwell 0.

3-pt. goals - Melum 2, Perrine 2, Rorden 2, Fortier 2, Peterson 1,

Pajevic 1, Tully 1.

Fouled out - none.

Technicals - none.