Sailors aim to rebound

Barry Faulkner

The Newport Harbor High boys basketball team, which has owned at

least a share of the Sea View League lead over a span of the last 15

league contests, will put that streak on the line Wednesday at

Foothill to highlight this week’s action involving Newport-Mesa

teams.

Coach Larry Hirst’s Sailors (12-8, 4-1 in league), who dropped a

57-36 verdict at Woodbridge Friday, enter the game tied with

Woodbridge for first place. Foothill (3-2 in league), which handed

the Warriors their only league defeat Wednesday (71-68 on the

Knights’ floor), took the Sailors to the wire in their first meeting.

Newport prevailed, 52-51, in the Jan. 10 league opener, after

which Foothill lost at home to Laguna Hills, 58-53. The Knights have

since won at Aliso Niguel, 71-68, over Woodbridge and at Irvine,

83-49, Friday night. Newport also defeated Coach Tom McCluskey’s

Knights, 47-39, in a Dec. 21 tournament clash.

“The good news is: We’re still in first place,” Hirst said after

Friday’s loss, in which the Tars trailed only 22-21 at halftime, but

made just 5 of 24 second-half field-goal attempts (20.8%). “The bad

news is: This league is too good to rest on your laurels.”

Nedim Pajevic, a 6-foot-8 senior center, amassed 20 points and 13

rebounds in the first league meeting with Foothill and will be

expected to carry a heavy load against the Knights, whose tallest

starter is 6-3.

Pajevic, averaging 14.9 points per game, has carried the load for

the Sailors all season. He is contributing 16 ppg in five league

games.

Brett Lowenthall, a 6-6 junior reserve, is averaging 8.4 ppg in

league, while junior forward Andre Pinesett and senior guard Chad

Rorden are both contributing 7.6 ppg against league competition.

The Sailors’ week also includes a Friday visit to Aliso Niguel,

which is tied with Laguna Hills for fourth with a 2-3 league mark.

The Tars handled the Wolverines, 69-65, Jan. 15 at Newport.

Corona del Mar (9-11, 2-2 in the Pacific Coast League) enters the

week tied for third, following a huge 65-44 triumph Friday at Calvary

Chapel.

Coach Ryan Curry’s Sea Kings are tied with Tesoro, one game behind

second-place Uni and two behind league-leading Northwood. CdM hosts

Northwood Wednesday, before beginning the second round of league play

Friday at home against Laguna Beach.

A CdM split, combined with a Tesoro split (Wednesday against

Calvary and Friday at University), would leave the Sea Kings and

Titans deadlocked in third, heading into their Feb. 5 showdown at

Tesoro. Tesoro won the first meeting, 48-45.

CdM, however, can’t get too comfortable against Laguna Beach. In

the first game between the two, the Sea Kings had to rally from a

21-point fourth-quarter deficit to claim a 59-56 triumph in overtime

Jan. 15.

In the Golden West League, Estancia (13-7, 3-3) enters Tuesday’s

games in fourth place, while Costa Mesa (7-13, 2-4) is hoping to

build on winning two of its last three league games.

Coach Chris Sorce’s Eagles host last-place Westminster (0-6 in

league) Tuesday, before visiting Saddleback (tied for fifth in league

with Costa Mesa) Thursday.

The Eagles dropped a 60-49 decision Friday to league-leading Ocean

View, after having the league bye Wednesday. Estancia is led by 6-4

sophomore Carlos Pinto, averaging 13.6 ppg, 12.7 ppg in league.

Senior guard Zack Novak had been the second-leading scorer in

league (10.2 ppg), followed by 6-8 senior Joey Lindquist (8.7) and

senior point guard Matt Cachola (8.0).

The Eagles need a pair of wins to solidify their fourth-place

position, which in the seven-team league means a guaranteed berth

into the CIF Southern Section Playoffs.

Mesa, meanwhile, is at Ocean View Tuesday, before receiving the

league bye Thursday. Coach Bob Serven’s Mustangs are led by senior

third-year starter Danny Krikorian (15.6 ppg). Freshman Scott Knox

has also stepped up in league, averaging 13.7 ppg to lift his season

average to 8.4.

A Mesa loss, combined with two Estancia wins this week, would give

the Eagles a 2 1/2-game lead with only five games left (four for

Estancia) in the battle for fourth place.

Sage Hill (7-10, 2-2 in the Academy League) is at Oxford Academy

Wednesday and at Brethren Christian Thursday.