Mater Dei, Woodbridge Highlight Basketball Tournament

CIF State Champions Mater Dei (Division I) and Woodbridge (Division II) head a field of 16 teams in the ninth annual Servite Summer Classic Basketball Tournament, which begins today at Servite High School and concludes with Sunday night’s championship game.

The 27-game, three-day tournament will showcase some of the Southern California’s best prep players, including Woodbridge’s Adam Keefe, Mater Dei’s Kevin Rembert and St. Anthony’s Darrick Martin.

Defending tournament champion Mater Dei hopes to become only the second school to repeat as champion since the tournament began in 1979. Long Beach Poly has won three titles (1980, 81, 83), and Inglewood (1979), St. Bernard (1982), Glendale (1984) and Cleveland (1985) have won one each.

Eight games are scheduled for today, beginning with Mater Dei vs. Pius X at 9 a.m. That game will be followed by Santa Monica vs. Westminster (10:30), Los Alamitos vs. Inglewood (noon), Foothill vs. Lakewood (1:30), St. Anthony vs. Fullerton (3), Dominguez vs. Servite (4:30), Long Beach Poly vs. Marina (6) and Capistrano Valley vs. Woodbridge (7:30).

Second-round games will be played Saturday, with championship-round games scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. The semifinals will be held Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and 11, with the championship game scheduled for 8 p.m. Sunday night.

Ticket prices are $2 for adults and $1 for students each day and can be purchased at Servite each day of the tournament.