STATE HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS : BOYS’ DIVISION III : Servite Guns Down Mt. Eden, 67-51

Anaheim Servite found its shooting touch and the Friars won their first state basketball title Saturday.

The Friars, shooting 50% in the playoffs, made 71.4% of their shots in a 67-51 victory over Hayward Mt. Eden in the State Division III boys’ championship game at the Oakland Coliseum Arena.

Steve Marusich, Servite’s 6-7 center, scored 21 points, but it was the three-point shooting of guard Paul Stapleton that helped the Friars (21-11) pull away in the second quarter.

Stapleton scored 12 of his 20 points on four three-point baskets and Servite led, 36-29, at halftime.

Marusich made all nine of his shots and Stapleton made seven of 13, including six of 10 three-point shots.

Stapleton’s six three-pointers broke the Division III title game record of four set last year by Randy Kriech of Trabuco Hills.

The record came as a surprise to Stapleton. He was shooting only 33% from the field for the season and went several games without even attempting a three-pointer.

“This has been such a bad shooting year for me, so it’s hard to believe doing this in the finals,” he said. “In warmups, I couldn’t get a rebound so I took only four shots. I made one of them.”