SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL BASKETBAL PLAYOFFS : DIVISION I BOYS : Sluggish Mater Dei Has Enough to Win

Mater Dei High School got an early jump on North Hollywood, taking a 12-point lead before the game was five minutes old.

It was a good thing, too, Mater Dei Coach Gary McKnight said.

The Monarchs survived a listless final three quarters, according to McKnight, to beat North Hollywood, 76-64, in the first round of the Southern California Regional Division I playoffs Tuesday night at Ocean View High.

Mater Dei led by as many as 16 points, 57-41, late in the third quarter, but couldn’t run away from North Hollywood.

When Dana Jones made a driving layup in the final seconds of the third quarter, North Hollywood was within 61-51.

The Huskies got as close as 66-59 after a three-point basket by Harry Marks with 4:08 left. But North Hollywood went cold suddenly and Mater Dei held on down the stretch.

Mater Dei (31-1 and the No. 2-seeded team) advances to play Manual Arts in the semifinals Thursday. North Hollywood, an upset champion in the City Section 3-A division, ended its season 23-4.

“It looked like we were tired from Saturday night (when the Monarchs defeated Loyola, 83-57, in the Southern Section 5-A final),” McKnight said. “We didn’t have five guys who were focused tonight. If we don’t get five guys focused, we’re going to be out of the tournament fast.”

Mater Dei relied heavily on the inside play of Charlie Andres and Andy Karich and a swarming defense on Jones.

Andres had 23 points and 14 rebounds and Karich had 26 points to lead Mater Dei.

Jones, who had 29 points and 29 rebounds in the Huskies’ 76-71 victory over Fremont in the 3-A final last week, faced double- and triple-teaming from Mater Dei.

“We had a guy behind him and tried to run another guy at him from the front,” McKnight said. “Sometimes we triple-teamed him and he was still making the shots.”

A 6-foot-6 center bound for Pepperdine next season, Jones had 19 points and 11 rebounds, but was held scoreless in the fourth quarter.

“(Jones) is a big-time player,” McKnight said. “He’s as good as (Artesia center Ed) O’Bannon.”

Jones found the key filled with Mater Dei defenders whenever he got the ball. And when he turned to shoot there were Monarchs swiping at the ball as he did.

Marks had 20 points, 13 in the second half, and Robert Hill had 11 for North Hollywood.

With Derek Stone, Mater Dei’s 6-8 center, slowed by a sprained ankle and David Boyle, who had 32 points in the Loyola game, ineffective in the first half, Andres and Karich picked up the slack.

Karich, who had 13 points, and Andres, who had six, accounted for all but two of the Monarchs’ 21 first-quarter points. Mater Dei led, 21-13, and never trailed.

By halftime, the Monarchs’ lead was 42-32, but it would never grow wider than 16 points as North Hollywood stayed within striking distance.

Boyle had 12 points, eight in the second half. Stone was scoreless and spent much of the game on the bench nursing his ankle.