Short-handed Sailors still a powerful team

Patrick Laverty

Even with four players suspended for a violation of team rules and

three others sick, Newport Harbor High’s boys basketball team didn’t

miss a beat in the opening round of pool play Monday in the Bill

Reynolds Classic.

The host Sailors converted better than 68% of their field goals in

the second half to pull away from Compton and post a 66-52 victory to

remain undefeated this season.

Newport Harbor (3-0) used a 23-6 run that began with a Jamie

Diefenbach layin with 2:26 remaining in the third quarter and ended

when Compton’s Michael Gordon hit a three-pointer with 1:48 remaining

in the game.

Gordon’s shot ended a string of 12 consecutive missed field-goal

attempts by the Tarbabes (2-3), who had tied the game midway through

the third quarter on a three-pointer by Richard Munns.

Munns, who led Compton with 24 points, scored with 7:11 remaining

in the fourth quarter to shrink Newport Harbor’s lead to 49-43, but

the Sailors scored the next 11 points as the Tarbabes couldn’t get a

shot to drop.

“We started switching our defense a little more in the fourth

quarter and that got them a little flat-footed,” Newport Harbor Coach

Larry Hirst said.

While Compton couldn’t buy a basket, Newport Harbor couldn’t miss.

Diefenbach, a 6-foot-8 senior, and 6-2 junior Taylor Young led the

charge. Diefenbach finished with a game-high 28 points and added nine

rebounds, while Young scored 16 and grabbed 13 boards.

Combined, the two Sailors missed just one shot from the floor in

the second half, scoring 24 of Newport Harbor’s 36 second-half

points.

Diefenbach scored six consecutive points to start the 23-6 run,

twice scoring off lob passes from Young on inbounds plays.

When Diefenbach missed the free throw after his third bucket,

Young was there to grab the rebound and score the putback.

Young, a receiver and linebacker on the Sailors football team,

added Harbor’s only three-pointer to open the fourth quarter and

later scored another putback basket and a layin after a nice interior

pass from Diefenbach.

“[Young is] one guy we’re bringing along slowly,” Hirst said.

“We’re taking it slowly with the football guys because it takes a

while to get your basketball legs. We’re right around the three-week

mark now, which is about when things come around.”

Young’s minutes increased dramatically Monday because of the lack

of depth, which included the absence of Harbor’s other football

player, Alex Orth, who was ill. Chad MacBeth, a 6-5 senior, also

missed the game because of illness, while David Allee dressed despite

being sick and scored two points.

All eight players in uniform scored for the Sailors with Dennis

Heenan and Andre Pinesett adding six points each and Rafael Mouradyan

coming through with four points and six rebounds.

“I’m extremely happy,” Hirst said. “All our guys had to play a lot

of minutes. Compton, to their credit, stayed after us. I have to

admit, when their guy tied the game with that three-pointer I said,

‘Uh oh, here comes the momentum change.’ ”

But that momentum change turned out to be created by Diefenbach

and Young and the short-handed Sailors proved they were deep enough

for victory.

*--*

Bill Reynolds Classic Pool play

Newport Harbor 66, Compton 52

Score by Quarters

Compton 12 10 19 11 -- 52

Harbor 11 19 16 20 -- 66

Compton -- Anderson 4, Price 4, Gordon 10,

Brown 5, Munns 24, Flores 5. 3-pt. goals --

Gordon 2, Brown 1, Munns 2. Fouled out --

None. Technicals -- Price. Harbor -- Allee 2,

Mouradyan 4, Slater 2, Heenan 6, Young 16,

Pinesett 6, Gausewitz 2, Diefenbach 28. 3-pt.

goals -- Young 1. Fouled out -- None.

Technicals -- None.

*--*