SOUTHERN SECTION 5-AA BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : Mater Dei Gets Stiff Test, but Passes by 20

When Upland High School came into Rancho Santiago College’s Cook Gymnasium Friday night, the Highlanders didn’t have fancy warm-up suits with names on the back, like the ones worn by Mater Dei.

The Highlanders’ numbers were ironed onto their uniforms, not sewn, and Upland didn’t even have matching high-tops.

Upland didn’t look stylish, but for the first 16 minutes, the Highlanders--in their first basketball playoff season in 11 years--played right alongside Mater Dei.

A run of 16 points by Mater Dei at the start of the second half put Upland away for good, and the Monarchs pulled away to an 85-65 victory in the second round of the Southern Section 5-AA playoffs.

But Mater Dei Coach Gary McKnight, whose Monarchs are 25-2 and aiming for their fifth consecutive large-school championship, admitted that he was a little worried. Especially when Upland guard Rick Brodbeck started raining down three-pointers in the first half.

Brodbeck made seven three-pointers and led all scorers with 32 points. One of Brodbeck’s long-range shots brought Upland (18-10) to within one early in the second period.

“I was waiting for them to cool off,” McKnight said. “An eight-point lead at the half just isn’t enough against a team that can shoot like that.”

Fortunately for McKnight, his own long-range sharpshooter--Dylan Rigdon--was right on the mark all game. Rigdon, a senior guard headed for UC Irvine, made 10 of 15 shots for 25 points, including five three-pointers.

Senior Mark Morris had a trio of three-pointers in the third period to pad Mater Dei’s lead and finished with 16 points.