Pacifica Christian boys’ basketball advances after winning all-Newport Beach battle
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The campuses of Pacifica Christian Orange County and Newport Harbor high schools are less than two miles from each other, really just a short stroll across Newport Boulevard.
But the Tritons and Sailors had never played each other in boys’ basketball until Friday night.
Only one team would go on to extend its season past the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division 2AA playoffs.
Pacifica Christian senior point guard EJ Spillman made sure his squad lived on to fight another day.
Spillman scored 16 of his game-high 21 points in the second half, as the Tritons pulled away for a 60-37 win on their home court.
Spillman became the program’s all-time leading scorer earlier this season.
“Just get into the teeth of the paint and finish it,” said Spillman, who added eight rebounds and five assists, of his mind set on Friday night. “The first half, I was missing a lot of open layups, just playing too fast. I just had to use my body, get my teammates involved first and it opened it up a lot for me.”
The Tritons student section seemed to enjoy the first matchup against the Sailors, chanting “We own Newport” in the closing moments.
Pacifica Christian (21-7), which earned a share of its third straight San Joaquin League title this year, moves on to host San Juan Hills in the Division 2AA quarterfinals on Tuesday night. The Tritons won their first meeting with the Stallions this season, 78-59 at The Classic at Damien.
Michael Noel was the other player to reach double figures in scoring Friday for Pacifica Christian, with 11 points. Fellow junior Joaquin Rigdon scored eight points and senior forward Logan Stewart chipped in seven points.
Senior Hudson Reynolds, Pacifica Christian’s third team captain along with Spillman and Stewart, led the defensive effort with five steals as Newport Harbor (18-12) was held to three single-digit quarters. The Sailors’ 37 points represented their lowest total of the season.
“The guys are playing well at the right time,” Tritons coach Jeff Berokoff said. “They’re playing for one another, and they’re really playing some good defense. We’re really hanging our hat on our defense and our toughness, and I think that really showed through the course of four quarters tonight.”
Newport Harbor led 22-21 at halftime, but Pacifica Christian held the Sailors to just 15 points after the intermission, including just one made three-pointer in 12 attempts.
Senior Jack Berry and junior Owen Saukkola each scored 14 points for the Sailors. Junior Gavin Guy, who scored the game-winning basket in the Sailors’ 66-64 first-round win over South Pasadena, was held to three points.
Sailors coach Bob Torribio said his team got some good looks that didn’t go down, but he commended his players’ effort. Newport Harbor finished tied for fifth in a tough Sunset League this year, earning an at-large berth into the postseason.
“We heard from just about every Sunset League coach tonight, wishing us good luck,” Torribio said. “We were ready for tonight. I think you saw that in the first quarter, the second quarter. We were physically prepared for a game like this because of our tough league. It’s tough to battle every night in the Sunset League, but if you get lucky like we did and sneak in as an at-large, you’re going to be ready for any atmosphere. I thought we were tonight.”
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CIF Southern Section Division 2AA playoffs
Second round
Pacifica Christian Orange County 60, Newport Harbor 37
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Newport Harbor 7 - 15 - 7 - 8 — 37
Pacifica Christian 8 - 13 - 14 - 25 — 60
NH — Berry 14, Saukkola 14, Casey 4, Guy 3, Davis 2.
3-pt. goals — Saukkola 2, Berry 1.
Fouled out — Saukkola.
Technicals — Coach.
PC — Spillman 21, Noel 11, Rigdon 8, Stewart 7, Connell 4, Reynolds 3, Brinker 2, Huang 2, Hall 2.
3-pt. goals — Noel 1, Rigdon 1.
Fouled out — None.
Technicals — None.
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