Mater Dei’s Opponent Is ‘Scary’ : Prep basketball: With Ware and Lawrence, McKnight says talented Lynwood team is tall and deep, and will be awfully tough to beat.

Mater Dei boys’ basketball Coach Gary McKnight, who knows something about talent, called the prospects of playing Lynwood “scary” as his team prepared for the opening round of the Southern California Division I boys’ regionals tonight at Ocean View High School.

Lynwood (25-6) is tall and deep but also is coming off a 69-51 loss to Capistrano Valley in the Southern Section Division I-AA title game. Against the Cougars, starting forward Nathan Ware played sparingly because of an ankle injury and guard Jamal Lawrence lost his shooting touch.

“They could come out, hit their shots and look like a big-time team,” McKnight said. “They have big-time talent, but a lot depends on Ware’s injury. When he’s healthy, they’re awfully tough.”

Ware, a 6-foot-7 junior, averages 10.6 points and 11.5 rebounds. Lawrence, the team’s leading scorer averaging 20.1 points, was hounded by Capistrano Valley’s David Sedgwick and made only four of 21 shots.

McKnight, who led Mater Dei to State titles in 1987 and 1990, called this year’s regional field the toughest assembled since he started coaching 10 years ago.

“Look at the first-round game between Westchester and (Riverside) North,” McKnight said. “That’s a hell of a game. It’s tough to pick who’s going to be playing in the finals Saturday at the Sports Arena.”

Mater Dei (31-1) has won 17 consecutive games since losing to Oak Hill Academy of Mouth of Wilson, Va., 69-50, in the championship game of the Above the Rim tournament on New Year’s Eve.

McKnight said his team has matured quickly over the course of the season, aided by its only senior starter, guard Reggie Geary. Geary is coming off one of his best games of the season in Mater Dei’s 65-55 victory over Riverside North.

“I thought he picked us up when we looked very young early in the North game,” McKnight said. “We missed four front ends of one-and-ones and turned the ball over a couple of times at the end. Otherwise, I was very happy with the way we played Saturday.”

In other Division I games:

Capistrano Valley (28-3) at Poway (26-8): Capistrano Valley Coach Mark Thornton got the bad news Sunday that the Cougars, Division I-AA champions, would be traveling in the first round. Later, he learned his top player, Tom Airey, had broken his foot in the title game against Lynwood and is out for the season. Poway won its sixth San Diego Section Division I title in nine years with a 69-48 victory over Rancho Bernardo on Saturday. Center Kyle Milling, a 6-7 senior who has signed with UC Santa Barbara, has averaged 25 points in his past eight games.

In Division II:

Spring Valley Monte Vista (25-3) at Trabuco Hills (25-5): Monte Vista, with the most effective full-court press in San Diego County, figures to test Trabuco Hills’ guards Brett Poulos and Ryan Holland. Monte Vista had won 18 consecutive games before losing to Torrey Pines, 74-53, in the San Diego Section Division II championship game. Junior forward Marty Ellis, a good leaper, averages 20 points and 7.5 rebounds. Trabuco Hills center Gavin Vanderputten is coming off his worst game of the year, scoring only eight points in the Mustangs’ 52-20 victory over Kennedy in the Division II-A title game.

Kennedy (23-7) at Del Mar Torrey Pines (27-3): Kennedy will be missing its best shooter, guard Morgan Murakami, who dislocated his elbow Saturday after falling while attempting an offensive tip. Murakami, who had 11 three-point baskets in five playoff games, is out for the season. Torrey Pines, winner of 19 consecutive games, is the best team in San Diego County. Center Scot Pollard, who is 6-11, figures to create problems for Kennedy’s 6-10 center, Jermaine Galloway. Pollard had 26 points in Torrey Pines’ 74-53 victory over Monte Vista in the San Diego Section Division II championship.

In Division III:

Estancia (23-7) vs. University of San Diego High (9-17) at the University of San Diego, 8:30 p.m.: Estancia Coach Tim O’Brien declined to show his team a videotape he borrowed from McKnight of University’s 86-36 loss to Mater Dei in the Above the Rim tournament. Mater Dei opened a 30-6 lead in the first quarter. “Mater Dei has a way of making anybody look bad,” O’Brien said. “I don’t want my players getting the wrong impression of University.” Estancia is attempting to follow the same pattern of last year’s team that lost a section title but won the State title. The only factor that could keep Estancia from repeating is Matt Fuerbringer’s bad habit of getting into foul trouble in big games.

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