Tars prevail, 65-48

Bryce Alderton

Senior leadership took center stage at Newport Harbor High

Wednesday night.

Led by point guard Chase Cameron’s “double-double” (13 points and

10 rebounds) and Nedim Pajevic’s game-leading 19-point and

nine-rebound performance, the 3-0 Sailors overcame a sluggish first

half and scored a 65-48 victory over visiting Compton (0-6) Wednesday

in the second round of pool play action in the 2002 Bill Reynolds

Tournament hosted by Harbor and Vanguard University.

Harbor outscored Compton, 42-23 in the second half, after the

visitors led 25-23 at intermission. The Tarbabes led, 22-15, with

3:20 left in the first half.

Newport found itself caught off guard in the first half with

Compton’s fast-break game that included several players taking shots

well before the shot clock reached below 20 seconds.

“We have never chased that many people before,” said Newport Coach

Larry Hirst. “They got tired in the third quarter and went 1 for 5 on

five successive possessions and we went on a run. We don’t play an

offense where guys are looking to score each time they touch the

ball, that’s not Orange County basketball.”

“The biggest difference was the guards rebounding, and especially

(Cameron) in the second half,” Hirst said. “Over the last seven years

a point guard has often been the first or second-leading rebounder

and (Cameron) continues that tradition.”

Five of Cameron’s 10 boards came in the final quarter as the

Sailors went on a 5-0 run to grab a 47-36 lead.

The Sailors drove the lane often in the final quarter, getting to

the free throw line nine times and netting 11 points. Cameron led all

Tars, going 6 for 8 from the charity stripe as Newport converted 21

of 35 free-throw attempts to Compton’s 7 of 13 effort.

The Sailors got a boost of energy to start the third quarter from

Pajevic, who sat out nearly the entire second quarter after

committing two fouls.

The 6-foot-8 senior took the third-quarter inbounds pass standing

next to the rim on its left side and scored an easy layup and then

hit a three-pointer to make it 28-25 Newport with 7:05 left in the

period.

Compton cut the Sailor lead to 31-29 with 4:55 in the period but

the Newport defense stepped up. Brett Perrine, who scored six points,

stole the ball and threw an outlet pass to a streaking Pajevic for a

layup to increase the Sailors’ lead to six, 35-29.

Newport plays against Orange at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Newport in the

third round of pool play before Saturday’s final round at Vanguard

University.

Bill Reynolds Tournament

Newport 65, Compton 48

Score by Quarters

Compton 11 14 11

12 -- 48

Newport 12 11 21

21 -- 65

Compton - Herdon 2, Davis 0, Munns 11, Anderson 0, D.

Smith 4, Napier 18, Cormier 5, Jones 7, T. Edwards 1.

3-pt. goals -- Napier 2, Cormier 1.

Fouled out -- Davis.

Technicals -- team (player not listed on roster).

Newport Harbor -- Pinesett 7, Glassic 1, Pajevic 19,

Rorden 6, Cameron 13, Perrine 6, T. Lowenthal 3, B. Lowenthal 6, Soza

2, Hunter 0, Hernandez 2.

3-pt. goals -- Cameron 1, Pajevic 1.

Fouled out -- none.

Technicals -- none.