It’s not by Chance

Chance Beauchamp kept hearing his coaches tell him that one of these nights, he and his Newport Harbor High teammates would hit their shots.

Nothing was going right for the boys’ basketball team. The Sailors lost their head coach, Larry Hirst, before their second Sunset League game of the season.

With a new coach, Bob Torribio, the losing continued. Newport Harbor was on a 14-game losing skid. The Sailors hadn’t won since Dec. 10.

Losing a coach and games took a toll. This wasn’t what Beauchamp expected during his senior season, his first on varsity. He wanted a great season, one with memories that would last forever.

In the final two weeks of the season, Beauchamp was an integral part of four games he will never forget.

Last week, Beauchamp was on fire. He hit nine three-pointers at Huntington Beach, setting a Newport Harbor single-game school record, and finished with 33 points.

Two days later, Chad Stassel, the player Beauchamp surpassed, showed up at Newport Harbor to watch Beauchamp face Fountain Valley. Stassel saw Beauchamp knock down seven threes and finish with 23 points.

After the game, Stassel walked up to Beauchamp and told him he deserved the record.

This record looked much better to Beauchamp than the overall record the Sailors finished with at 7-17.

Beauchamp helped Newport Harbor end a long losing streak two weeks ago. That was the Sailors’ best week when it came to victories in league play. They won twice, beating Marina, 50-41, and upsetting league champion Los Alamitos, 64-57.

During the two-game stretch, Beauchamp nailed eight three-pointers, five against Los Alamitos. The Sailors became the only team to hand the Griffins a league loss.

“We all just rushed [Torribio],” said Beauchamp, who finished with 17 points against Los Alamitos.

“It was a really good way to end the season because we all love Torribio and he’s a great coach. We just wanted to give him a couple of wins.”

Beauchamp tried to add a third victory to Torribio’s resume this season in league.

The Sailors led for most the contest at Huntington Beach, thanks to Beauchamp’s hot hand. He opened the game by hitting two threes.

The team kept running plays for him, setting screens to get him free. At no point did Beauchamp figure he was chasing a school record, which was set five seasons ago.

All he cared about was winning the game.

The Oilers went on to win, 61-53. Afterward, Torribio let the bummed Sailors know what just happened.

“At least Chance got a record and you can say you played with him,” Beauchamp said Torribio told the team.

In the next game, Beauchamp said he topped Torribio’s best shooting day when he played at Newport Harbor.

Torribio had made six threes in a game.

Beauchamp went on to make six straight threes against Fountain Valley. He added a seventh three, and finished seven of 10 from behind the arc.

Beauchamp credited Torribio for finding his shot late in the season.

“I was struggling for much of the season,” Beauchamp said. “I don’t know what it was. Torribio worked with me on my shot after a couple of practices and I got it back.”

david.carrillo@latimes.com

Twitter: @DCPenaloza

*

Chance Beauchamp

Born: June 14, 1994

Hometown: Newport Beach

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 150 pounds

Sport: Basketball

Position: Small forward

Coach: Bob Torribio

Favorite food: Steak

Favorite movie: “Semipro”

Favorite athletic moment: “Breaking … Chad Stassel’s [Newport Harbor] record for most threes in a game [by making nine].”

Week in review: Beauchamp set a Newport Harbor single-game record for three-pointers by making nine at Huntington Beach. He made seven against Fountain Valley.