Team turns up Heat

The Heat went from ice cold last week, to red-hot this week, as they defeated the Nuggets, 49-14, in a Newport-Mesa National Junior Basketball boys’ Division II game Sunday.

Running the “Miami” offense, the Heat jumped out to a 16-0 lead in the first period. Brett Super scored on lay-ups early in the game off passes from the Heat’s big man, Mitch Dean. Super then repaid Dean with three assists and Dean was off to a solid 11-point, 11-rebound game despite playing limited minutes, as the Heat rested their starters as much as possible.

Drew Johnston had a solid game for the Heat with 10 points and several assists. Alec Nguyen was a force under the boards with eight rebounds to go along with four points. John Holland ran the floor and found open teammates with strong, accurate passes and contributed points and rebounds.

Gianluca Vassalli and Patrick Jennings alternated at the point and recorded season-highs in rebounds and assists. Derek Mathuny also collected rebounds and he and Jennings each scored a season-high six points. Krishan Arora’s screens in the first period jump-started the Heat offense and he joined the rest of his teammates in the scoring column.

— Greg Super

Wildcats stun Bulldogs

The Wildcats knocked the Bulldogs from first place with a 40-39 win at Newport Harbor High in a Newport-Mesa NJB Boys’ Division I game.

The Wildcats overcame an 11-point third-period deficit behind big baskets by Kevin Manchester, who scored 14 points and hit a pair of three-point shots, and Ryan Kleinman, who finished with 16 points and four assists. Mark Manchester hit two free throws in the final seconds to ice the game, while Peter Goodman got a key possession in the final period.

Grant Nutt, Grant Morris, Cole Collins and Shane Silver all played excellent defense for the Wildcats.

Jay Damon, David and Michael Karamardian and Augie Miller all played well for the Bulldogs.

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Blazers edge Spartans

The Blazers, 4-1 in their last five games, beat the Spartans, 59-58.

Timmy Strader (24 points, 12 rebounds) led the way for the Blazers, while Gannon Bond (14 points, six assists) and Liam Murphy (four points, four rebounds) helped the cause with key buckets. Richard Hagestad (10 points) also played well in the big win.

The Spartans were led by the stellar play of Trent Dill (18 points, seven blocks), Robbie Bracho (14 points, six rebounds) and Ben Rowland, who scored a season-high 11 points.

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Blue Devils get hot

The Blue Devils cruised by the Tigers, 49-27, to pick up their fifth win of the season.

Joey Cooper (11 points, four rebounds, eight assists), Parker Chase, Caleb O’Neil and Quinn Bassler played well for the Blue Devils.

Jimmy Hamilton, Jake Hastings, Taylor Cortens, Liam Bright and Nolan McCarthy played well in defeat for the Tigers.

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Tar Heels earn key win

The Tar Heels picked up their ninth win of the season with a 46-38 victory over the rival Hawks of Rancho Santa Margarita Sunday morning at Saddleback High.

The Tar Heels are in a tie for first place with the best record in their division for Newport-Mesa NJB Boys’ Seventh-Grade All-Net.

Max Stanley had his best game of the season, hitting three of four three-pointers to finish with nine points and two steals. Cole Norris added 11 points and six rebounds and Grady Kimme hit a big, three-point shot in the second period to extend the Tar Heels’ lead to 15 at halftime. Kimme had four points and two steals. Logan Miller and Max Kline led the Tar Heels with precision passing and timely shooting. The duo combined for nine points, six assists and three steals. Charlie Evans and Hagen Truninger manned the paint throughout the game and Riley Gaddis (six points, five rebounds, two assists), Kevin Fults (two points, two rebounds, two assists) and Brett Greenlee (five points, three assists, two steals) played key minutes and provided stingy defense in the win.

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Hawkeyes hold off Bruins

The Hawkeyes were ahead by 20 points heading into the third period of Sunday’s Newport-Mesa National Junior Basketball Boys’ Division I game against the Bruins but had to hold on for a 45-36 victory at Newport Harbor High.

The Hawkeyes moved into first place with the win.

With a 23-3 lead after two periods, it looked as though the Hawkeyes would coast to an easy victory.

But the Bruins were just getting started.

“They got us last time in a close game,” said Hawkeyes Coach Lou Silverman, noting that the two teams were tied for first place at the game’s start. “We had a little revenge on our minds.”

The Bruins’ first signs of life came at the hands of Trevor Schwarz, who drained two free throws to start the third period and went on to score seven points. His team scored four unanswered points before the Hawkeye’s Chris Oh dribbled under the backboard and hit a layup while tumbling to the floor.

The Hawkeyes still led, 25-11, at the end of the third period.

The Bruins continued to rally in the fourth period, this time led by Tyler Lopp, who drained two three-pointers in less than a minute to narrow the Hawkeyes’ once insurmountable lead to just five points. Then, with 40 seconds left in the period, Lopp sank two free throws to run his point total to 11.

In the waning seconds of the period, the Bruins’ Brandon Francisco hit a three-point shot, bringing the crowd to its feet as his team was within, 33-32.

After scoring just one basket in the first two periods, the Bruins racked up 29 points over the next two. But in the end, they came up just short.

The Hawkeyes regained momentum in the fifth period thanks to sharp shooters David Bruno and Brian Wagner, who scored eight points each, and Kavi Sakraney, who lead the team with 12 points. They quickly regained offensive control and held on to win.

— Justin Cox