Sailors’ exit comes in second-half demise

NEWPORT HARBOR — It was a season in which the Newport Harbor High boys’ basketball team overachieved, fueled by its expectations to win regardless the opponent.

Tuesday it was No. 5-seeded Santa Barbara which took the court against Newport Harbor. For the first half, the Sailors were once again playing the role of spoilers, except in their own minds, in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division I-A playoffs.

Then Santa Barbara upped the physical play to match Newport Harbor, Dons sophomore guard Roberto Nelson scored 28 second-half points to finish with 43 for the game and the Sailors’ season was over with a 71-51 loss.

Newport Harbor Coach Larry Hirst said his team was the fourth Sailors squad to play three CIF playoff games. If they had won, the Sailors would have been the first in 77 years to play four CIF playoff games Hirst said.

Senior Weston Dunlap scored a team-high 24 points to go with five rebounds in the loss. Junior Kyle Caldwell had 12 points and five rebounds despite being limited by foul trouble.

With no more games to play all there was to look at was the past.

“All the guys, it’s like we’re family,” said senior guard Chad Stassel, who scored 11 points, including a four-point play. “It was a big year. It was my first year being on varsity. We’re like family. It was a good season, it’s tough to end it like this. We weren’t happy after. We should have beat these guys. We could play with them.”

Senior Nick Nigro drew the assignment of guarding Nelson, who he gave up at least six inches to.

“He’s good,” Nigro said. “He’s maybe the best player I’ve seen. He’s strong. We just didn’t play how we should have. We didn’t give it to the big guys so they can kick it back out.”

Nigro said the Sailors which had 11 seniors on the 15-man roster shared a bond.

“We’re really close,” said Nigro who added what he will remember most about this season is “winning the tournament in New Hampshire and beating Marina. It was an important year. I learned a lot and I gained a lot of good friends. I really enjoyed the basketball. It was the most fun of my years in high school.”

And for one quarter Dunlap made it feel like it would continue. Down, 18-9, to start the second quarter and with Caldwell leaving early on with foul trouble, Dunlap took over. The 6-foot-7 forward led the Sailors on an 18-3 run, scoring inside every way imaginable.

He stole a pass at half court and finished with a lay up. He threw down an alley-oop from Nigro and scored off inbound passes. He scored in the post and when he drove to the basket and drew a double team he deftly spun by it and laid the ball in. Stassel added a four-point play at the shot-clock buzzer and a baseline drive as part of the run.

Dunlap would finish with 15 points in the quarter and chants of “Wes D” from the crowd.

“It was awesome,” Stassel said.

Nigro said Dunlap’s energy spilled over to teammates.

“He was pumping us all up,” Nigro said, adding that “our crowd was really important. I love our fans, the football team was out there. Everybody they were great.”

Hirst said ending the season is always tough.

CIF Southern SectionSecond round

Division I-A Playoffs

Santa Barbara 71,

Newport Harbor 51

Score by Quarters

S. Barbara 18 8 24 21 — 71

Newport 9 22 6 14 — 51

Santa Barbara -- Nelson 43, Armstrong 9, Slaught 11, Soto 4, Morten 2, Sexton 2.

3-pt. goals -- Nelson 2, Armstrong 2, Slaught 1.

Newport Harbor -- Dunlap 24, Caldwell 12, Stassel 11, Burnham 3, Holmes 1.

3-pt. goals -- Stassel 2, Burnham 1.