Mater Dei Wins, an Old Rival Is Next

One of the best basketball rivalries in Southern California will be renewed tonight after a five-year absence in the championship game of the 18th Tournament of Champions at Ocean View High School.

Mater Dei and Long Beach Poly, the two most dominant programs in the Southern Section in the 1980s, will be matched for the first time in five years following impressive semifinal victories Friday night.

Mater Dei swept to its eighth consecutive victory with a 68-55 triumph over host Ocean View to reach the title game for the fifth time since the tournament started in 1972.

Long Beach reached its fifth championship game with a 71-60 victory over Capistrano Valley as center Willie McGinest scored 25 points and had 11 rebounds. The teams meet at 8:30 tonight.

Poly Coach Ron Palmer is one of two Southern California coaches with a winning record against Mater Dei’s Gary McKnight, who this week got his 200th career victory. When Palmer and McKnight last met, Poly defeated Mater Dei, 45-44, in overtime in a 4-A division championship game at the Sports Arena.

Palmer has a 2-1 career mark against McKnight, joining Crenshaw’s Willie West as the only local coaches with winning marks against McKnight. West is also 2-1.

McKnight improved his record to 6-1 against Ocean View Coach Jim Harris when his team shook off a sluggish start and pounded Ocean View in the second quarter. Ocean View opened a 14-9 lead in the first quarter, but Mater Dei responded by making nine of 12 shots in the second quarter to gain a 34-23 lead at halftime.

Guard David Boyle’s three-point shot midway through the quarter gave Mater Dei its first lead, 19-16, and the Monarchs never looked back. Boyle finished with 18 points and teammate Jason Quinn added 17 points.

“I don’t think we were ready to go,” McKnight said. “Our defensive intensity picked up in the second quarter, but give Ocean View credit. They were physical on the boards.”

Quinn, whose outside shooting was suspect last season, missed only two shots and ran the team flawlessly at the point guard position. McKnight said Quinn’s improved outside shooting has given his team an added dimension.

“Last year, a lot of teams cheated on us defensively,” McKnight said. “They wouldn’t go out and guard Jason. They dared him to shoot. You can’t do that this season. Jason is the heart of this team.”

In the other semifinal game:

Long Beach Poly 71, Capistrano Valley 60--College football recruiters from UCLA and Arizona showed up this week to watch McGinest, Poly’s outstanding outside linebacker, and the big guy showed his athletic versatility.

McGinest scored a career-high 25 points, making 11 of 14 shots, as Poly improved to 5-1. Scott McCorkle scored 23 points and guard Chris Kostoff added 19 points for Capistrano Valley (6-1).

Capistrano Valley cut Poly’s lead to 58-53 with 3:45 remaining when Chris Kostoff made a three-pointer, but it was the closest the Cougars could get.