Dayne Chalmers helps Newport Harbor boys’ basketball deny Edison

With one game left, nothing is settled in the Surf League for boys’ basketball.

A four-way tie for first place still is possible.

“It’s a fun league,” Newport Harbor coach Bob Torribio said. “It’s making us old [as coaches], but it’s a fun league.”

Torribio’s Sailors played spoiler on Friday night, earning a 55-40 victory over Edison on senior night at Newport Harbor High that denied the Chargers a chance to clinch a share of the league title.

Senior forward Dayne Chalmers scored 28 points for Newport Harbor (23-4, 2-3 in league), which is tied for third with Los Alamitos. Edison (18-9, 3-2) fell into a first-place tie with Corona del Mar, which beat the Griffins 68-47 on Friday night.

Newport Harbor plays at CdM on Wednesday night in the league finale, while Edison is at Los Alamitos.

Chalmers made his first eight shots for the Sailors and scored 17 points in the first half. He finished 12 for 14 from the field. He said he made an effort to be aggressive throughout the game.

“He was enjoying the moment,” Torribio said. “He’s one of the most competitive kids we’ve ever been around. He doesn’t say much. He just plays as hard as he can the entire game.”

Senior point guard Sam Barela added 10 points, while Robbie Spooner scored seven.

Will Harvey and Levi Darrow each scored five points for Newport Harbor, which never trailed after the first quarter. The Sailors led 28-23 at halftime.

Edison scored just six points in the second quarter and four points in the fourth quarter. Newport Harbor snapped a three-game losing streak in league, including a 50-47 home loss to Los Alamitos on Wednesday night when the Griffins made a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer.

“We like to think we defend every night,” Torribio said. “When the ball goes in, that helps us out … The last couple of games, we’ve stopped just coming out and enjoying basketball. It really felt like we were laboring through, at times. I really felt like we got back to [just enjoying basketball] tonight.”

Senior guard Kaden Headington led Edison with 18 points, and senior guard Aiden Garnett added 10. Down 41-36 entering the fourth quarter, the Chargers saw Chalmers make a steal in the opening minute of the quarter. It turned into a three-point play when he made a layup and free throw.

Overall, the Sailors scored 10 unanswered points starting the fourth until Connor Collins made a layup with 3:19 remaining in the game.

“Newport played so well,” Edison coach Rich Boyce said. “They played harder than we did. Obviously we went cold there for a stretch, but I just thought Dayne was a stud tonight. He imposed his will on us, and we just didn’t have an answer for him tonight.”

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SURF LEAGUE

Newport Harbor 55, Edison 40

Edison 17 – 6 – 13 – 4 — 40

Newport 17 –11 – 13 – 14 — 55

E – Headington 18, Garnett 12, Horton 3, Strauss 3, Sherouse 2, Collins 2.

3-pt. goals – Headington 3, Garnett 2, Horton 1, Strauss 1.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.

NH – Chalmers 28, Barela 10, Spooner 7, Darrow 5, Harvey 5.

3-pt. goals – Harvey 1.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.

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