Sailors hold off CdM

For a photo gallery of the game, click here.

NEWPORT BEACH — As the taped rendition of the national anthem began Friday night, heads began to turn in the Newport Harbor High gym.

Fans first heard feedback, then a loud electric guitar as the spirited version with no words got underway. Players from the Newport Harbor girls’ basketball team turned to the scorer’s table and started to laugh.

The Sailors could laugh after their season opener, too, but only after Back Bay rival Corona del Mar made them work for a 43-42 nonleague victory in the Battle of the Bay.

Newport Harbor led by 10 with two minutes to go, but was held scoreless the rest of the way until junior Corinne Schnieders’ free throw with 4.9 seconds to play broke a 42-42 tie.

Corona del Mar (1-1) committed a turnover in the lane as the game ended, helping the Sailors avenge a loss by a nearly identical score — 44-42 — to the Sea Kings a year ago.

“It’s a really good way to start our season off,” said Schnieders, who scored five points in the wild fourth quarter that saw CdM outscore Newport Harbor, 22-16. “We got a little flustered at the end. They kind of shocked us, I guess, because they played tough defense, but we pulled it out. We would have liked to win by more, because they’re our crosstown rivals, but we’ll take what we can get.”

The game marked the debut of Sailors head coach Randy Larson. A Newport Harbor alumnus, the 53-year-old Laguna Niguel resident was the junior varsity coach of the Newport Harbor girls last year.

Larson, who was an assistant girls’ basketball coach at Aliso Niguel from 2002 through 2006, replaces Jennifer Thompson, who was the Newport Harbor girls’ head coach for six years, but is staying on as an assistant.

Larson said he liked what he saw for much of the game from Schnieders and sophomore starters Katey Thompson, Lindsay Anderson and Maiquel McLeish. The four players combined for 30 points and all are at least 5-foot-8, helping Newport Harbor control inside and get numerous put-backs.

CdM has only one player that tall — 5-11 sophomore center Katie Bergsma.

“We took advantage of that in the first half,” Larson said. “Then, all of a sudden in the second half, we got away from what we were trying to do. We settled for long jumpers and let them back in.”

Newport Harbor never trailed in the game and led by as much as 15, at 35-20, on Katey Thompson’s jumper midway through the fourth quarter. But CdM senior Susan Moheimani immediately answered with a three-pointer to bring her team closer and eventually set up the wild finish.

Bergsma scored two baskets late in the fourth quarter to pull CdM within 42-36, then freshman guard Ellie Nadal (10 points, five steals) converted a pair of free throws.

After another Sailors turnover, a three-pointer by senior guard Allie Childs pulled CdM within one, at 42-41. With 11 seconds left, Childs made a free throw to tie the game, but then Schnieders’ hard move to the basket earned her a foul and she converted the second free throw to decide it.

Too much Newport Harbor size in the end, and too much of a hole for CdM to dig out of. The Sea Kings scored more points in the fourth quarter (22) than in the first three quarters combined (20).

“It just took us a while to really get that desperation, unfortunately,” CdM Coach Mark Decker said. “[Size] was their advantage, and they took advantage of it in the first three quarters. We thought we could change the momentum and take advantage of our speed. We just ran out of time.”

Junior guard Christina O’Tousa had a team-high five steals for the Sailors, and freshman guard Kayla Marolt also had five steals for CdM.

Newport Harbor begins play at the University Tournament tonight at 7 against Santa Margarita, while CdM is traveling to Catalina for a 5 p.m. game against Avalon High.

Nonleague

Newport Harbor 43,

Corona del Mar 42

SCORE BY QUARTERS

CdM – Nadal 10, Moheimani 9, Bergsma 7, Childs 4, Rhyme 4, Marolt 4, Stern 4.

3-pt. goals – Childs 1, Moheimani 1.

Fouled out - Rhyme.

Technicals - None.

NH – Anderson 8, Ka. Thompson 8, McLeish 7, Schnieders 7, O’Tousa 6, Hohl 4, Mead 3.

3-pt. goals – None.

Fouled out - None.

Technicals - None.

MATT SZABO may be reached at (714) 966-4614 or by e-mail at [email protected].