Servite Shoots 71% While Winning Title : Division III: Marusich, Stapleton lead Friars past Hayward Mt. Eden, 67-51, for their first state basketball championship.

Servite High School’s new-found shooting touch gave the Friars their first state basketball title Saturday.

The Friars, shooting barely 50% in the playoffs, shot 71.4% from the field (25 of 35) in a 67-51 victory over Hayward Mt. Eden in the State Division III boys’ basketball championship game at the Oakland Coliseum Arena.

It was the first state basketball title for the Friars, who won eight of their last nine games to finish 21-11. Mt. Eden ended the year 28-8.

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

The 6-foot senior scored 12 of his 20 points on four consecutive three-point baskets in the second quarter. Servite led, 36-29, at halftime.

Marusich was nine of nine from the field and Stapleton made seven of 13 shots, including six of 10 three-pointers. Jamie Rosenkranz added 12 for Servite and Mike Singleton led Mt. Eden with 11.

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

The record came as a surprise to Stapleton. He was shooting only 33% from the field for the season, and in several games he didn’t even attempt a three-pointer.

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

Said Servite Coach Richard Smith: “Paul sacrificed some games this year. He didn’t get to shoot at all in some games when we went inside. That’s been our theme all season, to keep pounding it inside.”

Servite didn’t stray from its game plan early. Marusich scored 10 points, on layups and short jumpers, as Servite built a 19-18 first-quarter lead.

“Marusich killed them inside in the first quarter,” Smith said. “We made them adjust and we came back with Paul. With that combination going, I don’t know what any team can do to stop them.”

Servite spread its offense in the second quarter in an attempt to keep Marusich, who had two fouls, in the game.

“We wanted to take some time off the clock,” Smith said. “We wanted Steve back in the locker room with only two fouls.”

Marusich picked up his third foul 40 seconds before halftime and was whistled for his fourth with 5:51 remaining. He scored nine points in the second half, when Servite led by as many as 19.

Before the game, Smith said Marusich “should score 40” against Mt. Eden, which doesn’t have a player taller than 6-2.

“I’m surprised they didn’t try to muscle me more,” said Marusich, who faced man coverage most of the game. “I just kept posting up inside. They played in front of me a little in the beginning, then I started hitting a lot of turnaround (shots).

“Once they shut us down inside, Paul went to work.”

Mt. Eden Coach Ron Benevides said Marusich and Stapleton “were tough to stop.”

“Once we adjusted to their inside game then they came back with the other guy (Stapleton outside).

“We didn’t play well, but a lot of that had to do with Servite. They’re a well-disciplined team.”

And Saturday, the Friars were a good shooting team, too.