SUMMER PREP BASKETBALL : Young Mater Dei Squad Triumphs

The 1989-90 state champion Mater Dei High School basketball team of 1989-90 is all but gone. Nine of its players graduated.

But the new Monarchs may be developing the maturity to someday reign again. After losing twice to Capistrano Valley in earlier summer tournaments, Mater Dei edged the Cougars, 54-52, in the final match of the Mater Dei Nike Tournament.

“We’re very young and we’re improving every time out,” coach Gary McKnight said. “We’re playing a little smarter now.”

McKnight pointed to forwards Reggie Geary and J.J. Ballesteros as possible emerging leaders for the 1990-91 Mater Dei team.

Ballesteros, a senior, led the Monarchs’ less-than-awesome offensive output with 12 points.

Geary, a junior, scored 10 points and was instrumental in a defense that held Capistrano Valley to two points through most of the first quarter. He also provided the winning margin with a pair of free throws in the final minute of the game.

“I wasn’t trying to concentrate on shooting,” Geary said. “I was trying to concentrate on defense, passing, the little things.”

Ballesteros was also less concerned about offense. “We had to concentrate on blocking shots because they’re a lot taller than us,” he said.

Mater Dei’s concentration on defense may have waivered, however. After the Monarchs nearly shut down the Cougar offense during the most of the first quarter, Capistrano Valley managed to come back within a point of Mater Dei and went into the second quarter trailing, 16-14.

But despite that brief defensive lapse and an offensive effort with which he was less than satisfied, McKnight said he was happy with his team’s improvement in “just their understanding of the game.”

In other games:

Consolation championship: Artesia 88, Fullerton 74; Third place: Santa Clara 67, Los Alamitos 52; Seventh place: Ocean View 81, Foothill 68; Semifinals: Mater Dei 77, Los Alamitos 63; Capistrano Valley 57, Santa Clara 54; Consolation semifinals: Fullerton 67, Foothill 66; Artesia 78, Ocean View 65.

In the Servite tournament:

Pat Thacker scored 31 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, to lead Long Beach Millikan past Marina, 75-71, in a quarterfinal game. Marina’s Cherokee Parks scored 22 points. In another quarterfinal game, Dominguez defeated Los Alamitos, 51-44, eliminating the final Orange County team from the championship bracket.

In other games:

Semifinals: Millikan 71, Long Beach Poly 67; Dominguez 62, Pomona 56; Consolation quarterfinals: Servite 99, Rolling Hills 72; Huntington Beach 63, San Pasqual 51. Consolation semifinals: Lakewood 79, Servite 75; Western 71, Huntington Beach 64.