Corona del Mar Storms Back in the Fourth to Down Newport Harbor (59-51)

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Newport Harbor got out to a two-point lead after the first and held a five-point halftime deficit — but a 21-9 fourth quarter from Corona del Mar settled it. Maxwell Scott finished with 21 points, Luke Mirhashemi added 18, and Oliver Nakra chipped in 17 as the Sea Kings beat the Sailors 59-51 on Monday night.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair. Scott was at his sharpest early, putting up 9 points on 4-of-5 shooting in the first quarter alone, including a three-pointer. Nakra and Mirhashemi each contributed 9 points in the first half as well, with Nakra hitting two threes in the second quarter to keep CdM in front. The Sea Kings led 30-25 at the break, but Newport Harbor was never more than five down — and that margin wasn’t safe.

Newport Harbor flipped the script in the third, outscoring Corona del Mar 17-8 to take the lead heading into the fourth. CdM’s offense stalled — Nakra went scoreless on 0-of-2 shooting, Mirhashemi was 0-of-3 from the field — and turnovers piled up. But the fourth quarter belonged to the Sea Kings. Scott, Mirhashemi, and Nakra combined — each with their own separate lines — for a collective push that produced the game’s decisive swing. Mirhashemi went 2-of-2 from the field and added two assists in the fourth. Ryan Mansouri, who didn’t score, quietly grabbed 7 of his 10 rebounds in the final frame, giving CdM the second-chance opportunities they needed.

Scott’s 9-of-15 shooting night — the most efficient of the three scorers — was the engine behind the win. His 21 points led all scorers, and his 4-of-5 first-quarter start set the tone before Newport Harbor’s third-quarter run forced CdM to answer. They did, 21-9 in the fourth.

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