Mater Dei Wins on Fluke Shot : Prep basketball: Three-pointer by Quinn with 1.8 seconds left gives Monarchs a 46-45 victory over Long Beach Poly and state title berth.

It wasn’t a shot, it was more like an afterthought. Call it a fluke, but Jason Quinn’s 20-foot jumper with 1.8 seconds left gave Mater Dei High School a 46-45 victory over Long Beach Poly in the Southern California Regional Division I title game Friday night at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

The improbable victory in front of 5,071 advances the Monarchs to the state Division I title game next Saturday in Oakland.

Quinn’s desperation three-point shot wiped out a 45-43 lead and gave the Monarchs their 25th consecutive victory. It also avenged Mater Dei’s only loss of the season, a 54-47 setback to Poly in the title game of the Tournament of Champions last December.

Quinn, who scored eight of Mater Dei’s 11 points in the final quarter, made a pair of three-point shots with the game on the line. Quinn is better known for his keen passes than his scoring touch, but he found himself with the ball and no open teammates in the final seconds of the game.

He dribbled to the right of the perimeter behind the three-point line with about eight seconds remaining and Poly defender Rod Hannibal shadowing his every move. Still, there were no takers, so Quinn heaved a desperation shot that hit nothing but net with 1.8 seconds showing on the clock.

“I thought it was a five-second violation,” said Ron Palmer, Long Beach Poly coach. “I thought we would get a five-second call. I’m not going to cry over it, though.

“You throw up some of those shots, and what can you say? Sometimes, they go in.”

Mater Dei Coach Gary McKnight said he never saw the shot go in, adding, “(Assistant Phil) Bellomo turned and tackled me. It was a fluke, but it was a nice fluke.”

Quinn, who is the lowest scorer among the starters on the team with a six-point average, was carried around the arena floor by his teammates. Afterward, he shrugged off the adulation, saying, “This time, it was my turn.

“I knew the clock was running out, and somebody had to take the shot. I didn’t think it had a chance.”

Neither did McKnight.

“I looked at the clock and thought, ‘We’re not going to get it off. We’re in big trouble. You always have to have a little luck to win in this game.”

Mater Dei (33-1) advances to the state championship for the second time in eight years under McKnight. The Monarchs won the title in 1987. Poly (28-3) was bidding for its second state championship, having won in 1984.

Poly had a 44-40 lead with 55 seconds remaining to play after reserve Jeremy Stringfield scored on a follow shot after a missed free throw by center Willie McGinest. But Quinn hit his first of two three-pointers with 36 seconds left to trim the deficit to 44-43, and then Poly missed two key free throws down the stretch.

McGinest finally made a free throw with 19 seconds left to push Poly ahead, 45-43, setting the stage for Quinn’s heroics.

Guard David Boyle gave Mater Dei a 12-6 lead with 7 minutes 38 seconds remaining in the second quarter when he drove the baseline and scored on a short bank shot. The Monarchs held their biggest lead, 16-8, with 4:59 left to play in the first half when forward Charlie Andres made two free throws, but Poly came alive moments later thanks to a wraparound pass by guard Tyus Edney.

Edney’s pass set up McGinest for an easy layup and ignited the Poly fans, who had little to cheer about in the opening half. Poly tied the score, 20-20, with 42 seconds left in the half when Hannibal stole a pass and scored on a layup.

But Mater Dei forward Andy Karich pushed the Monarchs back in front, 22-20, with two seconds left when he drove the lane and scored on a short bank shot. Poly had problems pushing the ball inside to McGinest, but the burly center still had eight points in the first half. He finished with 11 points and eight rebounds.

Poly went nearly 5 1/2 minutes without scoring a field goal in the first half as Mater Dei center Derek Stone and Andres played excellent post defense. But Mater Dei missed four free throws in the half and had to be content with a two-point lead despite its defensive play.

As usual, there wasn’t a standout scorer for Mater Dei. Boyle had 12 points and Quinn and Karich added 10 points. Karich also had seven rebounds.