Sailors, Eagles travel the CIF trails tonight

Barry Faulkner

If Newport Harbor High is to make good on any long-range plans for

its postseason, the Sailors will need to be mindful of host Buena’s

perimeter shooters in a CIF Southern Section Division II-AA

first-round boys basketball playoff game tonight at 7:30.

Meanwhile, Estancia gets the task of upsetting top-seeded Bishop

Montgomery, which begins its quest for a fourth straight section

crown in a Division III-A second-round clash tonight at 7:30 on the

Knights’ floor.

Sage Hill School, a second-year varsity program that won its first

CIF contest Wednesday, will play on Saturday against Los

Angeles-based Yeshiva in Division IV-A second-round contest.

The game is set for Marymount High with an 8 o’clock start

Saturday. Yeshiva is 17-4 and the Liberty League champions.

Newport Harbor (16-9), making its seventh straight trip to the

postseason, won eight of its last 10 games to finish second in the

Sea View League. The Sailors, however, are shorthanded, having lost

junior starter Andre Pinesett, as well as sophomore part-time starter

Brett Perrine to knee injuries the last two weeks. Coach Larry

Hirst’s Tars have also played the whole season without 6-8 junior

Jamie Diefenbach, who tore his ACL in fall workouts.

The Sailors, however, do have 6-9 senior center Nedim Pajevic, who

finished the regular season averaging 15.5 points and nearly 14

rebounds per game.

Brett Lowenthal, a 6-6 junior, averages eight points, while senior

guards Chase Cameron (7.6 ppg) and Chad Rorden (6.7 ppg) have also

been consistent stalwarts for the Sailors.

Buena (16-9), which tied for second in the Channel League,

finished the regular season with a school single-game record 14

three-pointers in an 85-65 win over San Marcos.

Hylas Smith, a 6-1 senior guard, is the Bulldogs’ leading scorer

(15.3 ppg), but Thomas Young, a 6-3 junior guard, has scored 44

points the last two games, including six three-pointers against San

Marcos.

Buena, which also counts upon 5-11 senior guard Dechone Smith and

6-3 senior swing man Eric Gray, could have trouble matching up with

Pajevic. The tallest Bulldog is 6-5 senior J.D. Probasco, who is

listed a 290 pounds.

Estancia, which handled first-round host Gabrielino, 61-36,

Wednesday, will attempt to halt Bishop Montgomery’s 22-game winning

streak. The Knights (25-1) are champions of the Del Rey League and

have captured nine league titles the last 13 seasons. They won the

section Division III-A crown last season, after claiming the top

prize in Division III-AA the previous two years, both of which also

included CIF State Division III championships.

The Knights are led by 6-6 senior forward Fred Washington (21.4

ppg), whom Estancia Coach Chris Sorce identified as a state player of

the year candidate.

“Well, we’ll get a chance to see how we stack up against the No. 1

team in our division after having played the No. 2 team (Golden West

League rival Ocean View),” Sorce said. “We weren’t too far off

against No. 2 (losing, 62-50, in the regular-season finale and

dropping a 60-49 verdict Jan. 24) and I think we could play the

Lakers right now and not be afraid. Sometimes, you just have to rise

up and be road warriors. Stranger things have happened. After the

pairings came out at the CIF office (Sunday), a lot of coaches

offered suggestions on what might work against Bishop Montgomery. A

lot of people out there want to see (the Knights) get beat, so they

won’t have to play them. Who knows, the team to beat them just may be

us.”

Estancia is led by 6-4 junior forward Carlos Pinto (13.9 ppg), as

well as 6-8 senior center Joey Lindquist (12.5 ppg) and senior guards

Zack Novak (8.4 ppg) and Matt Cachola (7.4). That foursome will have

a tough act to follow, after collectively shooting 78.6% from the

field (22 of 28) at Gabrielino. Lindquist made all nine of his

field-goal attempts in the first-round romp, but figures to have much

more athletic defenders tonight.

Bishop Montgomery’s only loss was a 61-48 setback against Los

Angeles City Section power Fairfax.