Wolverines stave off Sailors’ upset bid

Barry Faulkner

In the end, about the only thing missing from the Newport Harbor High

boys basketball team’s supreme upset attempt Friday night was a

willing victim.

Visiting Aliso Niguel, determined to protect its status atop the

Sea View League standings, rallied to force overtime, then

outperformed the Sailors to earn a 78-74 triumph that all but assures

the Wolverines the league crown.

Aliso (20-3, 7-0 in league) will wrap up at least a share of the

league title by winning just one of its final three league contests,

while the Sailors (13-9, 5-2) will try to secure second place.

But the hosts held a portion of the league lead in hand for most

of the game. The Sailors seized an 8-0 advantage and led after each

of the first three quarters.

Aliso Niguel posted its first lead, 67-66, with 1:34 remaining in

the fourth quarter and, after answering a Brett Perrine layin with a

free throw with 1:09 left, the Wolverines never trailed.

“I thought for most of the night, we were the better prepared

team,” Newport Harbor Coach Larry Hirst said. “But I give [the

Wolverines] credit for coming back.”

Newport Harbor made its first nine free throws, including six

during an 8-0 second-quarter surge that produced a 31-19 advantage.

But the Sailors missed 11 of their final 28 foul shots in

regulation to leave the door ajar for a dramatic Wolverine comeback.

Even more amazing, Aliso erased the deficit despite just five

points after halftime by UCLA-bound senior leader Michael Roll. Roll

scored 15 first-half points to keep the visitors within 34-28. He

finished with 20 points, but was just 8 of 23 from the field (34.8%),

when he fouled out with 49 seconds left in regulation.

A Ted Griffin putback, the Wolverines’ second shot after they

missed a free throw, gave the visitors a 70-68 edge with 1:02 left in

regulation.

But Perrine, who had all 19 of his points after halftime, drained

two free throws with 49 ticks remaining to pull the Tars even.

Newport’s Alex Orth, who was largely responsible for Roll’s

shooting woes, rebounded Aliso’s missed 16-footer with 19 seconds

left. But a Sailor three-pointer with seven seconds remaining missed

the mark and the four-minute overtime ensued.

The Sailors missed a pair of free throws to open the extra session

and Aliso senior guard Xavier Gardner, who scored all 17 of his

points after halftime, netted an eight-footer, then a driving layup

for a four-point cushion with 2:38 left in overtime.

Perrine, who made his final eight free throws, sank two from the

stripe to halve the deficit with 2:06 left.

The two teams exchanged turnovers on their next three possessions,

with Perrine picking off a bounce pass on the defensive end to give

the Tars a chance to tie or take the lead with 48 seconds left.

A Sailors’ driving runner, however, was blocked by Gardner on the

ensuing possession and Gardner quickly converted a layup in

transition with 28 seconds left to put the visitors up, 76-72.

Perrine, once again, came through from the line to cut the lead to

two, but another Aliso follow shot, its seventh after halftime, iced

the victory.

“It was a great game and Newport Harbor played great,” Aliso Coach

Keith Barnett said. “Our guards [Gardner and fellow senior Terence

Green scored 17 and 23 points, respectively] did a good job upping

the tempo for us in the second half. We live and die with that

tempo.”

Taylor Young chipped in 17 points, 15 rebounds, four steals and

four assists, before fouling out with 1:06 gone in overtime.

Orth finished with 17 points, while junior Dennis Heenan made two

of his three three-pointers in the fourth quarter to help the Sailors

extend their upset bid.

Aliso had only three of its 21 turnovers after the third quarter,

while the Sailors committed six of their 17 in the same span.

“We missed free throws throughout the game, not just the end,”

Hirst said. “And we gave up too many offensive rebounds off their

free throws, which is a cardinal sin on any level of basketball.”

Sea View League

Aliso Niguel 78,

Newport Harbor 74 (OT)

Score by Periods

*--*

A. Niguel 11 17 17 25 8 -- 78

Newport 17 17 18 18 4 -- 74

*--*

Aliso Niguel -- Roll 20, Zierer 4, Conner 4, Green 23, Gardner 17,

Griffin 5, Peterson 4, Zanolli 1.

3-pt. goals -- Gardner 1.

Fouled out -- Roll, Conner, Griffin.

Technicals -- None.

Newport Harbor -- Perrine 19, Young 17, Koon 5, Orth 17, Nasca 5,

Heenan 9, Slater 2, Yaghjian 0, Stevens 0.

3-pt. goals -- Heenan 3, Perrine 1, Orth 1, Nasca 1.

Fouled out -- Young.

Technicals -- None.