Fountain Valley basketball finds spark in second half to beat Newport Harbor – Orange County Register

NEWPORT BEACH — If there is such a thing as a must-win game so early in league play, then the Sunset League boys basketball game between Fountain Valley and Newport Harbor on Wednesday was a must-win game for the Barons.

After trailing by 15 at the half, the Barons came charging back in third quarter, relying almost exclusively on Kenneth Nguyen, who scored every one of this team’s 13 points in the fourth, leading the Barons to a 51-49 victory over the Sailors at Newport Harbor High School.

After being held scoreless in the first half, Nguyen finished with a game-high 27 points.

The Barons (17-2, 1-2) who are ranked No. 19 in Orange County, started the season going 16-0 but then lost their first two Sunset League games, putting them in a near-desperate situation against the No. 20 Sailors (13-5, 1-1) and in a tough league.

“I think early, being 0-2, I think we were trying to do more than what we normally do,” Fountain Valley coach Brendan Holmes said of the first half. “We were playing very out of character early. We missed some layups, so it didn’t help.”

The Barons scored two points in the second quarter and that lone basket came in the final minute of the quarter, after the Sailors opened the quarter on a 14-0 run.

“So then at halftime, we just talked about it,” Holmes said. “And then we kind of looked at each other and told Kenneth, ‘You got to start getting this going, my guy.’ And so, we started getting back to the way that we play.”

Fountain Valley reversed the script by opening the third quarter with a 17-2 run.

A 3-pointer from Isaac Chinchilla lifted the Barons to a four-point lead heading into the fourth.

Newport Harbor’s Owen Saukkola scored five quick points early in the fourth to tie the score at 39-39.

The Sailors took the lead back on a pair of free throws from Marcel Aguilar before a pair of baskets from Nguyen put the Barons back ahead, 43-41.

Aguilar hit a 3-pointer to give the Barons a 48-45 lead with one-minute, 40 seconds remaining and hit a second 3 from well behind the 3-point arc and with a defender in his face to make the score 51-47.

The Barons were ahead by a basket with possession of the ball and 3.7 seconds left. Newport Harbor’s Oliver Aguero stole the ball and quickly passed ahead to Aguilar, who heaved a shot from half court that didn’t come close.

“We knew we had to win this game,” Nguyen said. “I’m just grateful my shots went in today.”