NEWPORT BEACH — Jack Berry, Riggs Guy and Cole Leinart seemed to feed off each other’s energy right from the start and were dominant in all facets of Newport Harbor’s 61-47 victory over Marina in a nonleague game Wednesday at Newport Harbor High School.
Newport Harbor (17-2) extended its winning streak to 14 games.
The Sailors, who are ranked No. 9 in Division 2A of the CIF Southern Section, came out fast and went on multiple scoring runs.
Guy scored 18 points and pulled down six rebounds, Leinart scored 17 with five rebounds and Berry finished with 16 points and five rebounds.
Leinart, who plays football and basketball for the Sailors and is the son of Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart, scored all but two of his points from the 3-point line.
The sophomore guard hit one of those 3s from five feet behind the arc as the buzzer sounded at the end of the second quarter.
“He can shoot it and you know, we’ve got a really strong team with a lot of basketball players and we’ve got a couple different guys that can get it going,” Sailors coach Robert Torribio said. “And Cole got it going tonight which obviously makes everybody’s life a lot easier.”
Seconds before his buzzer beater, Leinart pulled down an offensive rebound under the basket and passed off to Berry, who hit a 3-pointer to put the Sailors ahead 22-18.
The Vikings (13-5), who are ranked No. 4 in Division 2A, had been trailing by nine in the second quarter before going on an 8-2 run to get within five points.
But the 3-pointers from Berry and Leinart highlighted a 10-2 run for the Sailors, who were up by 11 at the half.
Newport kept the momentum going with an 11-2 run at the start of the third to take a 42-22 lead.
“They swing me the ball, they drive, they kick,” Leinart said of his teammates. “I’m open at 3 and then they make a good pass and if I’m open, I feel like I’m going to hit it. I’m confident. They’re confident in me to shoot whatever and I just I love my teammates.”
Berry and Guy both play on the Sailors volleyball team, accounting for their rebounding ability.
“Jack Berry is the best player I ever played with,” Leinart said.
With most of the starters for both teams on the bench in the fourth, the Vikings closed out the game on a 13-0 run.
Dylan Gomez scored 12 to lead the Vikings and teammate Ryan O’Rourke scored six points, all in the fourth.
