Tars set up showdown

Barry Faulkner

Wednesday night was all about looking ahead for Newport Harbor

High boys basketball coach Larry Hirst. There was a time and a place

for it, but only after his Sailors dispatched Sea View League visitor

Laguna Hills, 57-40, to set up Friday’s first-place showdown at

Woodbridge.

“We remember back to Laguna Hills here last year, so we didn’t

want to be looking ahead tonight,” Hirst said, referencing the Hawks’

49-45 upset of the Sailors last season that forced the Tars to defeat

Woodbridge in the league finale to claim the program’s first outright

title since 1985.

“Any team on any given night can beat you in this league. We

wanted to be 4-0 (in league) heading into the Woodbridge game.”

And what of the Warriors (14-5, 3-1 in league after being upset,

73-64, at Foothill Wednesday), ranked No. 6 in Orange County and CIF

Southern Section Division II-AA, where the Sailors (12-7, 4-0) also

reside?

“We’re going to be watching film all night to try and find some

answers,” Hirst said. “They start 6-foot-10, 6-9 and 6-6, so we’re

going to have to come up with something. We’re going to have to get a

double order of smoke and mirrors.”

Wednesday’s win, however, was far more fundamental.

“I thought we did a great job on defense, tonight,” Hirst said.

“There were a couple slip-ups, but those are going to happen.”

Newport Harbor’s defense tightened significantly after securing a

27-22 halftime lead, holding the Hawks (7-10, 2-2) to just two points

in the third period, after which the hosts led, 38-24.

“I thought we had a chance in the second quarter to blow the game

open,” Hirst said. “But, to Laguna Hills’ credit, it found some

weaknesses and got it down to a five-point lead at halftime.”

But the visitors missed their first 13 field-goal attempts after

intermission, before Trevor Gurney’s layup with 41 seconds left in

the period averted the eight-minute shutout. With Newport hawking

perimeter shooters and shutting down the lane, Laguna Hills missed 15

of its first 16 shots after intermission, en route to a dismal

7-of-30 second-half showing (23.3%).

Laguna Hills finished 17 of 64 from the field (26.6%) and

committed 15 of the game’s 25 turnovers.

Brock Tillotson, a 6-6 junior, scored 14 first-half points for the

Hawks, before Hirst adjusted defensive assignments, helping limit him

to just 2-of-11 shooting from the field in the final 16 minutes.

“We set the matchups and we may have made a mistake,” Hirst said

of Tillotson’s first-half efficiency, when he surpassed his season

average of 13.4 points per game.

Karter Stone and Richie Aronson, averaging a combined 26 points

coming in, had two apiece through three quarters. Stone finished with

four points and only two three-pointers in the final minutes allowed

Aronson to hit double digits with 10.

Newport, on the other hand, shared the scoring load between nine

players. Nedim Pajevic, a 6-8 senior center, led the way with 14

points, 14 rebounds and three blocks, while junior Andre Pinesett

continued his impressive league campaign with nine points, seven

rebounds and four assists.

Senior guards Chad Rorden (seven points and four assists) and

Chase Cameron (six points, three rebounds, two steals and two

assists) also did their share.

Sophomore forward Brett Perrine had all seven of his points in the

first quarter to help the Tars seize a 17-7 lead. They led, 20-13, at

the end of one period.

A post move and a putback by Pajevic, as well as a pair of

three-pointers by Pinesett, who also added a foul shot, gave Harbor

the first 11 points of the third period.

Laguna Hills cut the deficit to 42-32 with 3:03 remaining, but a

6-0 Sailor run restored order.