Newport too much for Temple City

Richard Dunn

Newport Harbor High boys basketball coach Larry Hirst kept waiting

for Temple City to come back Monday night. And kept waiting and

waiting and waiting.

“I scouted (the Rams) the other night and they had 49 points by

the end of the third quarter,” Hirst said. “In their first game, they

were unbelievable on threes, and (Kevin Sweeney) had 37 points. So I

thought, ‘When is their comeback coming?’ I figured they’d start

hitting some open shots.”

Fact of the matter is, if Temple City hadn’t secured four layups

late in the fourth quarter, the final count would be greater than the

Sailors’ already lopsided victory, 64-29, in the first round of pool

play in the Bill Reynolds Tournament at Newport Harbor.

The Sailors (2-0) enjoyed a distinct height advantage with

6-foot-8 senior Nedim Pajevic and 6-3 senior forward Nick Glassic,

along with 6-6 junior Brett Lowenthal as the first player off the

bench.

Temple City (2-1), which has no player taller than 6-1 but entered

the game with wins over Arcadia and San Gabriel, struggled from the

field, shooting only 16% in the first half (4 of 24) and 20% in the

contest (11 of 54). The Rams were also a woeful 5 of 14 from the

free-throw line.

In the game’s opening 3:58, the Sailors built a 10-0 lead and

owned six offensive rebounds, while the Rams were guilty of four

turnovers. Newport Harbor led, 12-0, before the visitors got on the

scoreboard with 1:39 remaining in the first quarter.

The Sailors, who outscored the Rams, 16-6, in the opening eight

minutes, held a 15-4 rebounding edge in the first quarter.

Pajevic, who dominated underneath on both ends of the floor,

finished with 14 points, 15 rebounds (five offensive), three blocked

shots and one steal in three quarters of work.

Glassic, who was 3 of 3 from the field in the first half,

contributed six rebounds (five offensive), two assists, one steal and

one blocked shot.

Robert Hunter, a 6-1 junior, came off the bench to score nine

points, while Lowenthal, 6-foot freshman Todd Lowenthal and 6-5

senior Jair Hernandez each added eight points.

Senior guard Chase Cameron sparked Newport Harbor’s fast break

with four assists in three quarters, along with seven rebounds and

one steal. Chad Rorden chipped in with five rebounds and two steals.

Newport Harbor managed a 31-12 halftime lead, then blitzed Temple

City in the third quarter, 13-2, before Sweeney (game-high 16 points)

scored for the visitors with 0:03 left.

“We didn’t want to open the door for them and give them any

chances,” Hirst said of the Rams, who also slumped from three-point

territory (2 of 22).

Newport Harbor, which will host Compton on Wednesday in pool play

at 4:30 p.m., built its biggest lead of the game, 58-21, with 3:10

remaining, following a three-pointer by 6-3 sophomore Brett Perrine

and two free throws by Hunter.

Orange defeated Compton, 57-52, in Monday’s early game.

The Bill Reynolds Tournament was conceived by some of the former

Southern California College men’s basketball coach’s former players,

including Hirst.

Bill Reynolds Tournament

Pool play

Newport Harbor 64, Temple City 29

Score by Quarters

Temple City 6 6 4

13 - 29

Newport 16 15 13

20 -- 64

Temple City -- Chodos 0 Sweeney 16, Chang 4, Chow 6,

Chin 1, Wang 2.

3-pt. goals -- Sweeney 2.

Fouled out -- none.

Technicals -- none.

Newport -- Cameron 3, Rorden 4, Pajevic 14, Pinesett 0,

Glassic 6, B. Lowenthal 8, T. Lowenthal 8, Soza 0, Perrine 4, Hunter

9, Hernandez 8, Hanley 0.

3-pt. goals -- Perrine 1, Hunter 1.

Fouled out -- none.

Technicals -- none.