Overpowering Defense Drops Mater Dei by 7

Long Beach Poly High School, using a tenacious defense and a patient passing game, reduced Mater Dei to just another basketball team Saturday night in the championship game of the Tournament of Champions at Ocean View High.

Poly made key free throws down the stretch and defeated Mater Dei, 54-47, in front of 1,200 fans. It marked the first time Mater Dei had lost in the finals of this tournament after winning four titles.

Mater Dei (8-1) made only 20 of 57 shots and was never really in the game after watching an early 5-0 lead. Poly scored 11 consecutive points to take an 11-5 lead and Mater Dei never recovered.

Poly (6-1) opened a 40-28 lead in the third quarter and then made eight free throws in the last period to win its third tournament championship and first since 1976.

Center Willie McGinest, one of the most sought-after football recruits in the nation, dominated play in the middle, blocking five shots and getting seven rebounds. McGinest was named the tournament’s most valuable player despite scoring only seven points in the final.

Mater Dei had its chances as Poly committed 23 turnovers, but the Monarchs failed to capitalize. Guard David Boyle scored 16 points for Mater Dei, but missed eight three-point shots.

“We had problems getting our inside game going, and you can’t live and die with the outside shot,” said Gary McKnight, Mater Dei coach. “We came down time and time again and didn’t get a shot off.

“Poly’s defense and pressure was the difference. We just didn’t get the ball in the hole. I thought Poly got better and better as the tourney went on.”

Poly forward Roderick Hannibal didn’t have any problems finding the range in the first half. He made his first seven shots, including a three-pointer at the halftime buzzer, and had 18 points in the first half. Hannibal led all scorers with 22 points.

“That guy killed us in the first half,” McKnight said. “I saw Poly play last summer, and I thought they were one of the best teams I saw. They’re back to playing (Coach Ron) Palmer-style basketball.”

In the third place game:

Capistrano Valley 71, Ocean View 54--Capistrano Valley used a fullcourt press in the third quarter to outscore Ocean View, 20-5, and then breezed to the victory.

Capistrano Valley (7-1) made 15 of 29 shots in the second half. Forward Scott McCorkle led all scorers with 33 points, including 22 in the second half. Ocean View (6-2) committed 19 turnovers in losing its second consecutive game.

In the fifth place game:

Morningside 68, Brea-Olinda 59--Keith Walker scored 35 points and finished with 162 points in four tournament games.

Walker averaged 41 points a game against some of the top teams in Southern California and broke Capistrano Valley forward Scott McCorkle’s tournament record of 132 points set last season.

In the consolation championship:

Muir 76, Los Alamitos 70--Guard Philip Turner scored 27 points for Muir while center Robert Conlisk had 22 points for Los Alamitos (6-2).