STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT : Division I Boys’ Semifinal : Mater Dei Defeats Edison, 63-62

Center LeRon Ellis capped a frantic fourth-quarter rally by making a free throw with only five seconds remaining and lifting Mater Dei High School to a 63-62 victory over Fresno Edison Thursday night in the semifinals of the Southern California Division I boys’ regionals.

The Monarchs overcame a nine-point deficit in the final quarter with Ellis making the big plays down the stretch in front of 2,200 fans in Cal State Fullerton’s Titan Gym.

“Just once, I’d like to win a game by two points,” said Gary McKnight, Mater Dei coach. “It came down to the big guy and team defense.”

Mater Dei (29-1) has won two straight games by one point as it advances to the long-anticipated showdown with undefeated Fairfax in the regional final Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Los Angeles Sports Arena. Fairfax (26-0) advanced with an 83-65 victory over Santa Monica.

Edison (26-3) had the Monarchs reeling in the fourth quarter after an incredible shooting performance by forward Charlie Ross and an effective full-court press in the third quarter.

Ross scored 19 points in the third quarter, hitting 9 of 10 shots from the 15- to 20-foot range against Mater Dei’s zone defense. The Tigers also forced nine Monarch turnovers in the period and, in the process, wiped out Mater Dei’s seven-point lead. Edison went ahead, 51-46, with 28 points in the eight-minute period.

When Edison forward Steve Smith scored to pad the lead to 55-46 with 7:12 remaining, it appeared that the Tigers were on the verge of one of the biggest upsets of the season.

Somehow, Mater Dei regrouped and came back. Junior forward Kevin Rembert had two three-point plays and reserve guard Juan DeAnda hit a big jump shot to get the Monarchs rolling.

Rembert’s three-point play with 2:59 remaining tied the score, 60-60, but the Tigers quickly retaliated with another long jump shot by Ross to move back ahead, 62-60.

When Mater Dei forward Erik Quigley was called for traveling with 2:36 left to play, Edison Coach Bill Engle called a timeout and decided to go to a delay game. It proved to be a bad move.

“They were rolling, and then all of a sudden they went to the slowdown,” McKnight said. “All four of the coaches on our bench said ‘good’ in harmony when they went to the delay.”

Engle defended the strategy afterward. “It’s easy to say that it was the wrong move now, but if we would have won the game it was a great move,” he said.

“Sometimes our offense isn’t so patient, so I just wanted to slow things down.”

Instead, he lost the game.

Oh, the Tigers did manage to work a minute off the clock before committing their first turnover over. But the second turnover came quickly, and so did defeat.

Mater Dei tied the score, 62-62, following turnover No. 1. Rembert threw a perfect lob pass to Ellis, who scored on a short jumper with 1:01 remaining.

Turnover No. 2 was a steal by Ellis at midcourt after Mater Dei guard Chris Patton had tipped a pass.

With the game tied, the Monarchs kept their cool, patiently passing the ball until Ellis was free inside. Ellis was fouled by Edison’s Marquise Thomas and made one of his two shots for a 63-62 lead.

The Monarchs survived a halfcourt shot by Edison’s Andre Sims to gain an improbable victory.

“If I didn’t hit at least one, I wouldn’t consider myself a clutch free-throw shooter,” Ellis said. “I concentrated, and luckily I got one in there.”

Only six days ago, Ellis struggled to make 3 of 11 free-throw attempts in the Southern Section’s 5-A division title game. The Monarchs made only 9 of 25 free throws in that game and nearly blew the title.

Now, it’s a date with Fairfax, the nation’s No. 2-ranked team, according to USA Today.

“It’s the game that was meant to be,” McKnight said. “We’ll be the underdog, which is a role we’re not used to being in very often. We’ll have to play a perfect game to beat them, but at least we’re going to try.”