Pajevic sparkles

Richard Dunn

Realizing the load, or burden, he might have to bear underneath for

the South, Newport Harbor High’s 6-foot-9 Nedim Pajevic came equipped

Saturday night in the Orange County All-Star boys basketball game at

Orange Coast College.

Facing the heavily favored North, the Newport Harbor standout and

second-team All-CIF Southern Section Division II-AA selection figured

he’d enjoy an evening of rebounding, which he listed in the program

as his favorite thing to do on the hardwood.

“That’s my favorite, rebounding,” Pajevic said. “I don’t care much

about scoring. I was trying to break the rebounding record here.”

While the North cruised to an easy 93-80 victory, winning the game

for the fourth straight year, an argument could be made for Pajevic

earning team MVP honors on the South, scoring 12 points, grabbing

nine rebounds and adding one block and one steal. [Pajevic came up a

tad short in his quest. The game’s rebounding record is 20, held by

Santa Ana’s Herman Brown in 1979 and La Quinta’s Johnny Rogers in

1981.]

“I think they had the height and athleticism,” South Coach Todd

Dixon of El Toro said of the North, which featured Mater Dei players

Harrison Schaen and Wesley Washington, along with Villa Park’s 6-9

Sean Phaler and Brea Olinda’s 6-7 Evan Moore, who was voted game MVP

after scoring 28 points.

“The only guy we had to match that is Nedim. He’s got a great

future in front of him if he plays hard. I guess it’s been good

coaching by Coach (Larry) Hirst (of Newport Harbor).”

Pajevic teamed with his former teammate and classmate underneath

for the South All-Stars -- Capistrano Valley’s 6-8 George

Fedorovtsev, who played three years at Newport Harbor on the lower

levels, then transferred to Capo Valley after his parents moved to

South County.

Fedorovtsev, who will likely play at Irvine Valley College next

season, led the South with 13 points, while adding four offensive

rebounds and three blocked shots (all in one series) and a steal.

Pajevic made the game’s first three-pointer, hitting a long-range

jumper with 15:07 to play in the first half, giving the South an 11-7

and forcing the North to call timeout.

“It can be tricky,” Pajevic said, “because they look at me and

it’s an advantage if they don’t think I’m going to shoot. I had an

opportunity and just thought I’d try it.”

Pajevic, who didn’t attempt another three-pointer, sank 4 of 6

from the field in the second half, mostly on left-handers runners in

the key.

El Toro’s Patrick Carney and Northwood’s Drew Terry also scored 12

points each for the South, while Sunny Hills’ Tony Gonzalez (15

points) and Troy’s Kevin Dalafu (12) were the only other North

players to score in double figures besides Moore.