Tars turn it on after first half

NEWPORT BEACH — Settling down the Newport Harbor High girls’ basketball team in its season opener Wednesday night were two freshmen.

Lindsay Anderson scored 13 points and Maiquel McLeish added eight points, helping the Sailors beat visiting Estancia, 50-35, in a non-league game.

“In the first half there were a lot of jitters,” said Newport Harbor Coach Jennifer Thompson, whose team went into halftime tied, 17-17, with Estancia. “We were missing a lot of layups, but then everything changed.”

Estancia (0-2), playing on back-to-back nights, gave up four quick points to forward Amber Munnelly in the third quarter. The Sailors doubled their halftime total in the quarter, allowing them to open the fourth with a 34-24 lead.

McLeish, who tweaked a knee in the second quarter, returned in the second half, where she scored all of her eight points. Anderson scored three baskets in the second half to finish 6-for-10 from the floor.

“We weren’t sure if she was going to come back,” said Thompson of McLeish, a center. “She said it felt OK, and she played better than OK.”

So did Newport Harbor guard Ivy Mello.

Mello recorded eight assists and six of Newport Harbor’s 22 steals on the night, impressing Estancia first-year girls’ coach Tommy Rausch.

“She really controlled the game and dictated the tempo,” Rausch said. “(The Sailors) pounded the ball inside and got layups in the second half.”

Newport Harbor’s next game is tonight at 5:30 in the Battle of the Bay at Corona del Mar. The last time these two schools played in the rivalry game, the Sea Kings won, 56-30.

“We pretty much got killed and it wasn’t very pretty,” Thompson said.

Yasmin Arroyo and Tiffany Monteiro led Estancia with eight points each.

Nonleague

Newport Harbor 50,

Estancia 35

Score by Quarters

Estancia 11 6 7 11 — 35 Newport 8 9 17 16 — 50

Estancia -- Arroyo 8, Monteiro 8, Hallock 6, Carr 3, Koff 3, Barrera 3, Williams 2, Ulrich 2.

3-pt. goals -- Barrera 1, Carr 1.

Fouled out -- None.

Technicals -- None.

Newport -- Anderson 13, Munnelly 10, McLeish 8, O’Tuosa 4, Schnieders 4, Cameron 3, Blackledge 2, Mello 2, Hohl 2, Deyan 2.

3-pt. goals -- Munnelly 2, Cameron 1.

Fouled out -- None.

Technicals -- None.