Boys basketball: Young Titans have no answer for Pajevic

Richard Dunn

NEWPORT BEACH - Although it’s “only” summer, there are times when

coaching is a delicate balance because more than one game will be played

in a day and energetic bodies might not be easy to come by.

In the case of Newport Harbor High’s boys basketball team Friday

morning in the opening round of the George Yardley Summer Cage Classic,

it presented an interesting situation for Coach Larry Hirst, who was

already missing three players, including 6-foot-8 center Jamie

Diefenbach.

“It’s not that it’s predetermined what amount of time the kids will

play, but you’ve got to think about having fresh legs, because you know

you’re going to play two games,” said Hirst, whose hosting team defeated

Tesoro, 64-52, to advance in the tournament -- only to be knocked off

later by Back Bay rival Corona del Mar, 56-52.

With 6-8 forward Nedim Pajevic, the Sailors controlled the game, while

scoring regularly in transition against the Las Flores-based Titans, who

appear headed in the right direction and could one day become a South

County power, but were no match for Newport Harbor in this one.

“They’ll be good in years to come,” Hirst said of Tesoro, which has no

seniors. “They have a good foundation, and you could tell that in the

fourth quarter (with the non-starters outscoring some of the Sailors’

non-starters, 14-13). I think they’ll be a good mix in the Pacific Coast

League this year (with Estancia, Costa Mesa and Corona del Mar).”

Pajevic scored 16 of his game-high 22 points in the first half,

including a three-pointer in the first quarter to ignite Newport Harbor,

which built a commanding 21-12 lead by quarter’s end.

Pajevic, a senior in September, crashed the offensive boards with

consistency and added four blocked shots, while 6-foot junior guard Andre

Pinesett added 12 points and a first-quarter three-pointer and senior

guard Chase Cameron dished out six assists along with six points. Junior

6-3 forward Robert Hunter had 10 points for Newport Harbor.

“I thought when we pressured them, we were able to get right into our

transition game and score a lot of points, and, yeah, they had no answer

for Nedim Pajevic,” said Hirst, whose squad had a 39-25 intermission

lead, after a 10-0 scoring run to cap the first half.

“And I think they surprised us getting to within three points (23-20)

in the second quarter,” added Hirst.

Pinesett triggered the Sailors’ half-ending spurt with a putback and

free throw with 2:01 to play in the second quarter, and, following a

Tesoro turnover, Pajevic scored on an inside move after nice pass from

Cameron at 1:27.

With 0:31 left in the opening half, Hunter netted a pair from the foul

line and crowned matters with a thrilling three-pointer with 0:04 left,

giving Newport Harbor its 14-point halftime bulge.