Evarts Doesn’t Give Up When Sailors Are Down

Only a few seconds remained in an exhausting, unpleasant experience for the Newport Harbor High girls’ basketball team Saturday, but Genevieve Evarts did not seem cognizant of the time factor.

The Sailors were deep into the process of being routed by Brea-Olinda, 70-40, in the Southern Section Division III-AA girls’ championship game at Cal Poly Pomona, yet there was Evarts, a senior guard, running, jumping and maintaining a frantic pace on defense. Even as the final buzzer sounded, Evarts remained in motion.

Anyone who expected something to the contrary does not understand Evarts.

“Yeah, we were down, but I wasn’t going to give up,” Evarts said. “I figured, ‘Well, we’re here, let’s make the best of it.’ ”

Said Sailor Coach Shannon Jakosky: “I wouldn’t expect anything less from her and she wouldn’t expect anything less from herself.”

Evarts (5 feet 7) provided some shining moments for Newport Harbor in an otherwise bleak performance against the state’s top-ranked team.

She scored a game-high 22 points, or 55% of the Sailors’ total. Evarts was seven of 13 from the field (54%), which was really an accomplishment because the rest of the Sailors made only six of 31 shots (19.3%) against the Ladycats’ swarming half-court defense.

Brea-Olinda outscored Newport Harbor, 17-2, in the first quarter. Although 24 minutes of basketball remained, the game was simply another Brea-Olinda victory waiting to become official.

“I was surprised by the way we came out,” said Evarts, the Sailors’ leading scorer with an average of 15.8 points entering the game.

“It was difficult to run what we planned on running. We didn’t really give ourselves a chance.”

Still, Evarts showed that she can hold her own against the best.

In addition to outscoring standout Ladycat guard Nicole Erickson (15 points), she also had three steals. Her final steal led to a play that typified her performance.

Leading, 67-29, with 2 minutes 3 seconds left to play, Brea-Olinda forced Newport Harbor to commit a turnover. But Evarts stole the ball back, maneuvered through defenders and drove along the baseline for a layup.

Brea-Olinda Coach John Hattrup was among those impressed by Evarts’ relentless approach.

“She’s a great player,” Hattrup said. “Any time a player can shoot and drive the way she can, they’re going to give you trouble.

“Plus, she is real smart. You don’t get to a (section) final without having players like her.”

So after three seasons of helping her team qualify for at least the division semifinals, Evarts’ desire for a section championship will go unfulfilled.

Newport Harbor’s season, however, will continue if the Sailors earn an at-large berth in the Southern California Regional of the State Division III tournament.

And although Evarts would have understandably preferred a more favorable outcome for Newport Harbor, she still has much to remember fondly.

“We overcame a big hurdle just to get to this game,” she said. “I’m happy I had the chance to go this far.”