Boys basketball: Sailors outlast Irvine

Tony Altobelli

IRVINE - The Newport Harbor High boys basketball team overcame an

early sluggish offensive display to pull out a 60-53 win over host Irvine

Wednesday night in both teams’ Sea View League opener.

“We’ve still have a lot of work to do,” Newport Coach Larry Hirst

said. “Sometimes, we’re our own worst enemy. We tried to throw the extra

pass and be too nice out there instead of taking what the other team was

giving us.”

Senior Aaron Yarnal paced the Sailors’ attack with 22 points, while

Tony Melum added 14 points, 11 in the fourth quarter.

David Cox led Irvine (9-9) with 25 points, while Jordan Guinn added

10.

“We tried to throw everything we could against Cox,” Hirst said.

“Everyone on our team had an opportunity to guard him, but he still

managed to find a way to score.”

Yarnal and Greg Perrine (11 points) were the only two Newport players

to find offensive success early. The duo scored all 12 first-quarter points as Newport led by four.

The lead grew to five before a 14-7 Vaqueros’ run gave Irvine a

two-point advantage after two quarters. “We just needed a little more

offensive intensity in the second half,” Hirst said.

An 8-2 Newport run gave the Sailors the lead for good, but it remained

close throughout the second half, thanks to Cox.

The 6-foot-5, 240-pounder drained a three pointer with 24 seconds

remaining to cut Newport’s lead to three.

On Newport’s next possession, Steve Young (eight points) was fouled

intentionally. The senior calmly drained both free throws to extend the

lead to four.

Irvine missed a jumper on its next possession and Perrine fought his

way among the tall timbers to grab a big rebound, keeping the Vaqueros

from getting any closer.

Melum came up big in the fourth quarter scoring 11 of Newport’s 20

points. “Sometimes, when he gets into early foul trouble, his game

suffers,” Hirst said. “In the fourth, he had a foul or two to give, so he

became more aggressive and played the way he’s capable of playing.”

Newport will host Laguna Hills Friday night at 7.

SEA VIEW LEAGUE

Newport Harbor 60, Irvine 53

Newport Harbor 12 12 16 20 - 60

Irvine 8 18 10 17 - 53

Newport - Yarnal 22, Melum 14, Perrine 11, Young 8, Peterson 3,

Pajevic 2, Cameron 0, Diefenbach 0.

3 pt. goals - Perrine 2, Melum 1.

Fouled out - none.

Irvine - Cox 25, Guinn 10, Sarwine 8, Tahvildaran 5, Carter 3, Nadori

2.

3 pt. goals - Tahvildaran 1, Cox 1.

Fouled out - none.