SOUTH COAST LEAGUE : Mater Dei Takes Challenge, Capistrano Valley in Stride

For the first time in weeks, Mater Dei’s top-ranked basketball team faced an honest-to-goodness challenge when it played at eighth-ranked Capistrano Valley Wednesday night.

So what happened?

Mater Dei, rated No. 13 nationally by USA Today, scored the game’s first 10 points and silenced the overflow crowd. The Monarchs held Capistrano Valley to 26 points in the first three quarters. And they made 27 of 29 free throws just in case Capistrano Valley entertained any thoughts of making a game of it.

Final score: Mater Dei 64, Capistrano Valley 51.

So much for challenges.

“I think we need more games like this,” Mater Dei Coach Gary McKnight said after the Monarchs improved to 20-1, 4-0.

With that in mind, Mater Dei hammered Capistrano Valley right from the start.

“The kids played hard and inspired early in the game,” McKnight said.

Only when Mater Dei seemed to run out of gas late in the game was Capistrano Valley able to chip away at a 26-point third-quarter deficit.

“That was my fault,” McKnight said. “They got a little tired because I didn’t substitute enough in the first half.”

It might explain why Marmet Williams scored all 16 of his points in the first half. But with Williams bottled up, Mater Dei turned to Miles Simon, who had a game-high 22 points.

Terence Wilborn added nine points and 11 rebounds as Mater Dei’s front line outscored Capistrano Valley’s by a hefty, 47-30.

“Defensively, it was one of our best efforts of the year,” McKnight said.

Capistrano Valley couldn’t have started slower, falling behind, 17-5, by the end of the first quarter and by halftime, 32-14. The Cougars’ only offensive punch came in the fourth quarter.

A 25-point fourth quarter by Capistrano Valley made the score seem respectable, but by game’s end there was little doubt it belonged to Mater Dei.

Corey Kost led the Cougars (12-8, 3-1) with 16 points. Eric Seiffert had 12 points and seven rebounds and Todd Thornton added 11 points.

In other league games:

El Toro 80, San Clemente 77--San Clemente’s Luke Mannix scored 35 points, but the Tritons are still winless in league play. Matt Ortiz added 21 points for San Clemente (4-13, 0-4). Chris Jacobson led El Toro to its first league victory by scoring 20 points and adding 12 rebounds and 10 blocked shots. Brian Culligan added 20 points for the Chargers (5-12, 1-3).

Mission Viejo 61, Dana Hills 47--Jeff Carr had 28 points to lead Mission Viejo (8-10, 2-2). Bob Hefty and Justin Hinsey each had 11 points for Dana Hills (9-9, 2-2).