This Time, Newport Harbor Doesn’t Settle for Second-Best

A week ago when third-ranked Newport Harbor was pounded by second-ranked Brea Olinda in the Edison International Tournament, the Sailors were just happy to be playing in a tournament final.

Saturday night at Concordia University, just being in another final wasn’t enough.

Behind good ball-handling and 14 points from tournament most valuable player Matt Jameson and some tough defense, Newport Harbor beat No. 5 Irvine, 50-37, to take the title at the 17th Irvine World News Tournament.

Forward Dustin Illingworth (16 points, nine rebounds) and Gary Robinson (11 points) also helped lead Newport Harbor (8-1), but after the game the talk wasn’t about all those numbers but, rather, what they all meant to the team.

“This certainly got the monkey off our backs,” Coach Larry Hirst said. “I don’t think anyone really knows how long it was that we won a varsity tournament at Newport Harbor, certainly not in my five years here.”

It also showed what might be expected in the Sea View League race when it begins next month. Irvine (8-2), which also lost to defending league champion Santa Margarita in the final of the National Sports Grill Tournament, is still expected to be in the hunt.

“I guess the good news is, we’re 8-2,” said veteran Vaqueros Coach Steve Keith. “The bad news is, both our losses have been to league teams.”

Leading 24-20, Newport Harbor put the game away in the final four minutes of the third quarter with an 11-2 run. During that span, the Sailors did a good job of slowing Irvine standout guard Chris Ferguson, who kept the Vaqueros in the game in the first half with slashing drives to the basket that led to 10 of his team-high 14 points. Newport Harbor, led by guard Alan Limon, rotated as many as three defenders on Ferguson.

“I felt fortunate to be down only 19-17 at halftime,” Keith said. “But I was disappointed that they took it to us in the third quarter.”

Jameson stopped short of saying that the victory vindicated Newport Harbor, but he agreed with Keith and said that this win took some pressure off the team. In past years the Sailors have made early exits in this event, but this group, which Jameson described as a close-knit bunch of seniors, made a pact this summer to grab at least one tournament crown during the season.

“We won some tournaments in the summer,” Jameson said. “But it’s been a long time for this. Even when we lost to Brea, we kept our calm. I guess that’s what happens when you have a lot of seniors.”

Irvine was also hampered in the second half by foul trouble to 6-foot-4 center Tim Rapp. He picked up his fourth with 2 minutes 56 seconds left in the third quarter and that opened the way for Illingworth, Jameson (six rebounds) and forward Adam Hearlson (seven rebounds), to control the boards.

Newport Harbor held a 34-17 rebounding advantage and held Irvine to only five rebounds in the second half.

In the third-place game:

La Costa Canyon 49, Woodbridge 41--Woodbridge trailed by 15 points at the half but battled back and cut the lead to one with about four minutes to play. La Costa Canyon, coached by former Cypress Coach Tom Gorrell, got some breathing room with an 8-0 run and was never threatened again. Brian Faulstitch had 21 points, including three three-pointers for La Costa Canyon (7-1). Brent Weiss had 13 points for Woodbridge (4-6).

In the fifth-place game:

San Clemente 74, University 66--Mitch Pierce had 18 points and Ben Straley hit three three-pointers to lead San Clemente (7-2).

In the consolation final:

Dana Hills 51, Fountain Valley 48--Jeremy Cooley and Brett Nowell combined for 24 points for Dana Hills (5-6). Fountain Valley is 6-3.

In the consolation round:

Vista 55, Estancia 49--John Cantrell hit four three-pointers for Estancia (4-6), but Donyare Mayfield scored 15 points for Vista (5-5) to lead his team.