By Candice Tran
On Wednesday, Jan. 17, the Barons celebrated seniors Colin Risse, Parker Rodriguez, Portland Sydney, Brandon Tran, Paul Nguyen and Devon Pham for their senior night. The players walked through a balloon archway in the center of the court, accompanied by their families and favorite teacher. Meanwhile, their most memorable basketball moments and the people they appreciate were described over the speakers.
This matchup with Newport Harbor High School was their third league game of the season. The Barons lost their home game against the Sailors by a score of 63-78, making their Surf League record 1-2.
The game featured strong performances by junior Aaron DeSantiago, who led the team in scoring with 21 points, and junior Devin Payne with 18 points. The score was tight the whole game until Newport Harbor managed to pull away in the fourth quarter, extending their lead with three-pointers and quick lay-ups.
After the initial whistle, the Sailors won the tip-off and started the game with possession of the ball. They hit a three-pointer right off the bat. On the next play, DeSantiago scored off a lay-up, followed by a three from Risse. With fast ball movement on offense, the Barons created opportunities for Payne to get points — he layed in a basket and got fouled on a three-pointer. He converted two of the three free throws, giving the Barons a 9-8 lead.
Rodriguez sank a three-pointer from the top of the key, but the Sailors responded with a 10-0 run, scoring on back-to-back plays and boosting their score to 12-18. The Barons called timeout.
“I felt like as a team we could’ve played better for sure, but in the first half I thought we did pretty good,” DeSantiago said. “We let up way too many offensive rebounds and it caused too many second-chance points.”
After regrouping, the Barons played tough defense, forcing the Sailors to make turnovers which denied them the opportunity to score. With 1:30 left on the clock in the first quarter, DeSantiago scored a three-pointer from the volleyball line and a fadeaway shot. Payne managed to get a jelly lay-up in, but a Sailor scored two points to end the quarter.
The Sailors scored five points at the start of the second quarter. Skilled offensive drives by Payne allowed the Barons to stay close with Newport Harbor, with both sides scoring each play. The Barons played tough defense, blocking Sailor shots and forcing turnovers.
Two consecutive three-pointers from Sydney and Rodriguez later in the quarter made the score 35-39, with the Sailors obtaining threes of their own. The Sailors scored off a drive maneuver with 50 seconds left, but the Barons’ defense stole the opportunity for the Sailors to shoot a buzzer beater. The first half concluded with a score of 35-41.
The first two minutes of the third quarter were scoreless. Both sides had various attempts to put the ball in the basket, but the Barons’ and Sailors’ solid defense kept the scoreboard static until the Sailors made a three-pointer.
DeSantiago and junior Troy Leach each sank a three-pointer, but the Sailors continued to score on the other end as well (41-46). Efforts by Payne and DeSantiago added more points to the Barons’ score. Risse received his third foul of the night, which a Sailor converted into points off free throws.
With three minutes remaining in the quarter, DeSantiago went on a scoring run. He scored four points off two mid-range jumpers, and on the third, he got fouled, for which he made both free throws. Newport Harbor responded by making a few baskets of their own. The third quarter ended with only a two-point deficit for Fountain Valley (49-51).
“I thought we did well executing offense and slowing it down and getting good shots, but on the defensive end, we struggled to rebound and that was pretty costly,” Payne said.
Unfortunately for the Barons, the Sailors got into a scoring momentum. They scored six points before the Barons could get a basket. By Payne getting an and-one shot and a three from Rodriguez, the Barons managed to keep the game close.
The Barons started to foul frequently in the fourth quarter, granting the Sailors more opportunities on offense. The Sailors went on a 9-0 run (56-68). One of these baskets was a baseline drive into a dunk. Left with a wide gap in the score, the Barons made last efforts towards scoring the ball.
More and more fouls piled into Fountain Valley’s stats, propelling Newport Harbor into the bonus. As the Sailors converted more free throws and sank more three-pointers, the score was 60-78 with 7.6 seconds left on the game clock. Nguyen closed out the game with a last second three-pointer for the Barons. The final score rested at 63-78 with the Sailors victorious.
“I felt like we all do a good job of finding our role as a team, and I feel like that’s what’s going to help us win these big games down the stretch and it’s going to really help us against Los Al and Edison,” DeSantiago said. “I’m excited to see what we can do.”
The Barons play their next game at Laguna Beach High School on Friday, Jan. 19. Their next home game will be a matchup against Marina High School on Wednesday, Jan. 24.
“Next game we play Laguna Beach, and we’re hoping to win,” DeSantiago said. “We’re going to make sure to hit our guy, box out and push the ball up the floor.”
