A bad Daye for Newport

IRVINE — Austin Daye and Woodbridge High made the Newport Harbor boys’ basketball team play, what Coach Larry Hirst deemed, un-Sailor-like basketball.

Daye, a lanky 6-foot-10 senior center who can shoot from long range, scorched the Sailors for a game-high 32 points in a 65-47 Warriors victory Thursday night at Woodbridge High.

Using his size and quickness, Daye also tallied game-highs in rebounds (15) and blocked shots (five) in the nonleague contest for Woodbridge (7-4).

Newport Harbor fell to 4-4 — not exactly where Hirst had envisioned his team at this juncture in the season.

“We’re real disappointed,” Hirst said. “I don’t think we’re doing things that usually make Newport Harbor basketball successful: executing on the offensive end and limiting our turnovers. Right now I think we’re a turnover machine waiting to happen.

“We’ve got to do a better job of making things happen down at our end.”

Despite Thursday’s final outcome, Newport kept it close and even led by one going into the final period. But Daye led a 12-2 run to open up the fourth, and the Warriors outscored the Sailors, 27-8, in the final quarter.

Kyle Caldwell, a 6-8 junior, led the Sailors with 18 points on an efficient seven for 12 outing, while adding six boards before fouling out with 37 seconds left. Senior Matthew Helfrich tallied 10 points for Newport, senior Weston Dunlap notched nine points, senior Chad Stassel added six points and senior Nick Nigro chipped in four points.

But it wasn’t enough to counter the athleticism of Daye, despite him fouling out with 3:50 left. And in fitting fashion, seconds prior to his exiting, Daye spun away from his defender and slammed home his final two points on a two-handed dunk.

Entering the contest, the matchup between Caldwell and Daye appeared intriguing, and it didn’t disappoint. The Sailors and Warriors traded buckets for three quarters, with their big men leading the way. But a fourth-quarter charge by Woodbridge wiped out Newport’s 39-38 third-quarter lead it had notched by ending the period with a 9-2 run.

Nonleague

Woodbridge 65,

Newport Harbor 47

Score by Quarters

NH 13 15 11 8 — 47 Woodbridge 13 18 7 27 — 65

Newport Harbor -- Caldwell 18, Ma. Helfrich 10, Stassel 6, Nigro 4.

3-pt. goals -- Stassel 2, Nigro 1.

Fouled out -- Caldwell.

Woodbridge -- Daye 32, Hudes 11, Kumar 7, Shayeg 5, O’Mara 4, Yomorta 2, Grimmett 2, Lipton 2.

3-pt. goals -- Daye 1, Kumar 1.

Fouled out -- Daye.

Technicals -- None.