BOYS’ BASKETBALL / SOUTH COAST LEAGUE : Cotton Out, but Mater Dei Easily Beats Trabuco Hills

Mater Dei played while Schea Cotton watched, an unpleasant scenario for the Monarchs and one they will have to live with for a few weeks. Cotton missed his third game this season, but the Monarchs were still more than Trabuco Hills could handle. They worked up a little sweat, but still cruised to a 85-65 South Coast League victory.

They did so while Cotton watched from the bench because of a pulled hamstring he suffered in Wednesday’s victory over San Clemente. He will miss about 3 1/2 weeks, according to Coach Gary McKnight.

“If this was the playoffs, he would play,” McKnight said. “But there’s no point. If we lose a league game, then we lose a league game.”

The Mustangs (10-9, 1-2), ranked ninth in Orange County, were hoping to oblige. They were lurking most of the game, hanging within 10 points. But the top-ranked Monarchs (21-1, 3-0) have played without Cotton--and his 20 points, 10 rebounds--before and they played like it.

The Monarchs went to their seniors, Shaun Jackson and Clay McKnight and they were enough.

Jackson dominated the inside, with 28 points and eight rebounds. The Mustangs, a perimeter team to the man, had no one who could bang with the 6-7 Jackson, who made nine of 14 shots and 10 of 14 free throws.

“We can’t defense him inside,” Coach Rainer Wulf said. “It was a nuclear weapon and we tried to fight it with a musket.”

Clay McKnight, meanwhile, held up his end with his outside shot. He scored 27 and hit six three-pointers. Twice he ended Trabuco Hills spurts with running jumpers along the baseline.

“To beat them, you have to play a perfect game,” Wulf said. “But we went into this thinking this was a bye in our public school league. We were getting ready for the public school league and the playoffs. But I think our kids learned we can play with good teams.”

The Mustangs’ confidence grew. They were down 15-4 but wouldn’t fold.

Their perimeter game--Rob Warnick (15 points), Jonathon Paisley (14 points) and Nick Punto (13 points)--did enough damage to make the Monarchs nervous.

“If they had a center, I’d be scared to play them,” McKnight said.

Warnick’s free throw with three minutes 37 seconds left pulled the Mustangs to within nine, 69-60. But they got no closer.

“You have to shoot 55% just to stay with them,” Wulf said.

The Mustangs shot 41%. That was only good enough to keep the Monarchs in sight.

Paisley’s three-pointer tied the score, 26-26, with five minutes left in the half. But Mater Dei finished the half with a 13-3 run and led, 42-31.

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In other games:

Dana Hills 59, Mission Viejo 48--Mike Hutchens scored a game-high 17 points to lead host Dana Hills (8-9, 1-2). Austin Moherman paced Mission Viejo with 15 points.

Capistrano Valley 59, San Clemente 46--Todd Hector scored 20 points to lead the Cougars (13-6, 2-1) at San Clemente. Capistrano Valley outscored the Tritons (8-10, 0-3), 23-11, in the fourth quarter. Gabe Gardner scored 17 points for the Tritons.