Ho-Hum: Mater Dei Reaches Final Again

Mater Dei High School gained its seventh Southern Section championship game in eight years under Coach Gary McKnight with an 80-55 romp over El Toro in the 5-A semifinals Friday night.

For the estimated 500 fans who were shut out of the sold-out gymnasium at Ocean View High, here’s a few words about the game: It wasn’t close and you didn’t miss much.

Mater Dei (29-1) opened a 19-8 lead in the second quarter when Charles Andres followed his own miss and then the Monarchs used their superior size and depth to dismantle El Toro.

Mater Dei will meet second-seeded Loyola for the title next Saturday at the Sports Arena. Loyola advanced with a 77-71 victory over Pasadena. The Monarchs have won five Southern Section titles under McKnight.

El Toro, a team that relied on the three-point shot to reach the semifinals for the first time, couldn’t find the range either inside or outside the three-point line. El Toro didn’t make its first three-point shot until 2:15 was remaining in the first half and by then the Chargers trailed, 33-18.

El Toro (22-6) made 6 of 19 three-pointers and its top threat, Rob Johnson, was worn out after being guarded by four different defenders during the game.

“It was like we were running in mud,” said Tim Travers, El Toro’s coach. “We were real stiff in the first half and shooting quicker than we normally do. When it took us 14 minutes to hit our first three, I knew we were in trouble.”

El Toro had made 173 three-point shots coming into the game but Mater Dei’s perimeter defense blanketed the Chargers’ sharpshooters. Guard Kevin Martin, the team’s most accurate shooter, didn’t make a three-pointer until the last quarter.

Mater Dei was equally effective offensively. The Monarchs repeatedly burned El Toro’s for high-percentage shots as Andres, David Boyle and Andy Karich took turns driving past El Toro’s Kirk Riddle and Greg Everett for uncontested shots. Mater Dei made 32 of 50 shots.

Afterward, McKnight said a loss last year to St. Monica in the quarterfinals was enough motivation to get his team back in the championship game.

“They were so disappointed not to go to the arena last year,” McKnight said. “They worked so hard over the summer to get back there, I’m really happy for them. I don’t care who we play, we’re in the arena and that’s all that matters.”

McKnight credited three phases of the game for Mater Dei’s easy victory over El Toro. First, and foremost, the Monarchs applied great pressure defense on El Toro’s perimeter shooters.

Second, Mater Dei’s depth took its toll. McKnight used 10 players in the first half with sixth-man Danny O’Neil outscoring all of El Toro’s starters except Johnson.

Finally, a simple intangible, unity, is this season’s trademark. McKnight said this is the closest group he’s coached since his 1987 team that finished 29-1 and won the State title.

“There’s no LeRon Ellis on this team, but this group is comparable to that ’87 team,” McKnight said.

Travers called the Monarchs’ 1990 edition, “the best team Gary’s has had at Mater Dei.

“They’re so deep, so solid,” Travers said. “They take a starter out and bring in a clone. There’s no dropoff when Gary goes to the bench.”