Sailors appear different in league loss

HUNTINGTON BEACH — The Newport Harbor High girls’ basketball team on Tuesday night wasn’t the same one Marina Coach Butch Fredlow was used to beating.

“Oh yeah,” said Fredlow, adding the Sailors are “a little bit bigger, a little bit more fundamental” than their teams in seasons past.

The Sailors challenged last season’s second-place team in the Sunset League for most of the game. Turnovers created problems for Newport Harbor and the lack of three-pointers, as the host Vikings sent the Sailors home with a 34-26 loss.

The game turned out to be the most competitive between these two programs since the 2006-07 season. The difference in the Sailors overcoming a zero for nine three-point shooting performance and 19 turnovers was simple to first-year Newport Harbor Coach Justin Long.

When only three players score all the points, it’s hard to win.

“We’re disciplined and talented, but we haven’t been through these battles enough to kind of know what [to do] if a play breaks down,” Long said. “We’re still learning that we still got to move and get open, and no get too stagnant on the court.”

Newport Harbor (9-11, 1-3 in league) hasn’t been able to move up in the league standings either.

Since the win in the league opener against Fountain Valley, the Sailors dropped their third straight contest. They find themselves at 1-3 in league, in the cellar.

Marina, on the other hand, remains in contention for a second straight runner-up finish. The Vikings have played the first part of its tough league schedule, falling to league favorite Edison and Esperanza.

The Vikings avoided being upset after figuring out the Sailors’ only threats Tuesday were center Alex Morton and guard Maiquel McLeish. Morton and McLeish each finished with 11 points.

Morton and McLeish scored all of Newport Harbor’s 15 points in the second half.

When the Sailors failed to hit a three-pointer, the duo converted two three-point plays in third quarter the old-fashion way.

McLeish struck first. The senior drove toward the baseline for a layup and in the process got hammered. She fell to the floor hard, not before the shot was successful. At the free-throw line, McLeish capped the three-point play and cut the deficit to 21-16 with 6:02 left in the quarter.

Three minutes later, Morton made a basket in the paint while being fouled. After the successful free-throw attempt, the Sailors trailed, 23-19. The last time Newport Harbor was behind by four points was at the 3:11 mark in the opening quarter.

The Sailors almost went scoreless for the rest of the third. Marina appeared on its way to taking a 27-19 lead into the final eight minutes of play.

McLeish made sure it was a two-possession game. On a long inbound pass in the waning seconds, she let the ball bounce, allowing her to save time before she touched it.

When McLeish picked it up, near the baseline, she nailed a jumper at the buzzer. The play was a heady one. Long wants to see McLeish take more shots and assert herself in the offense after undergoing knee surgery.

“She has a really good shot and I don’t think she thinks it’s as good as it is,” Long said. “This is her best game back and she’s kind of working her way in there. She’s very passive, so it takes a while for a passive player to kind of get a sense of the offense and take full force. She is starting to do that a little bit more.”

Sunset League

Marina 34, Newport Harbor 26

SCORE BY QUARTERS

NH – Morton 11, McLeish 11, Thompson 4.

3-pt. goals – None.

Marina – Lindquist 12, Turner 7, Trejo 4, Kinoshita 5, Frers 3, Kim 3.

3-pt. goals – Lindquist 3, Kinoshita 1.