Mater Dei Beats San Clemente; Hurlbut Injured

Mater Dei Coach Mary Hauser was in the middle of her postgame victory interview when her assistant, Geri Gainey, uttered what might turn out to be a fateful message:

“Lori Hurlbut may have a fractured hand.”

Whereupon Hauser put her hand over her face.

Mater Dei’s 66-52 victory Saturday over San Clemente in the quarterfinals of the Southern Section Division I-A girls’ basketball playoffs might be just a side note. Hurlbut has made her reputation by performing her best in the biggest games.

Hurlbut had scored 22 points and turned the momentum of the game in Mater Dei’s favor in the third quarter with her second of four three-point baskets. She fell to the floor in a heap of players with 45 seconds remaining in Mater Dei’s fourth victory of the season over the Tritons, one of their South Coast League rivals.

“There’s nothing that can keep me out right now,” Hurlbut said, ice on her right shooting hand.

Hurlbut was to have her hand X-rayed after the game.

Mater Dei (21-6) will play Ventura Buena, a 60-33 winner over Thousand Oaks. It’s the teams’ fourth consecutive meeting in the playoffs, but not the first in the finals.

Hauser’s hand covered her face when she got the news about Hurlbut because she knew that, at this level, a key player means all the difference in the world. San Clemente Coach Mary Mulligan had made that discovery earlier. Colleen Turnbull, San Clemente’s leading scorer, missed the last 5 1/2 minutes of the first half after picking up her third foul. She was whistled for her fourth foul less than one minute into the third quarter. She went to the bench.

“When she was called for her fourth foul,” Mulligan said, “that’s when [Mater Dei] started making their run. . . . We’re not the same team without her.”

Despite 13 turnovers and being outshot, 31-17, San Clemente held a 27-23 lead at halftime because it shot 58.8% from the field, including three-point baskets by Karmin Pulos and Molly Ela in the final 37 seconds.

That was San Clemente’s last hurrah. Mater Dei went on a 14-3 run in the third quarter as Turnbull (10 points) went to the bench.

Charline Mendoza (four steals) and Maile Shimoda (five steals) had two steals apiece in the run. Hurlbut had missed five shots in a row, but her three-pointer at 4 minutes 8 seconds gave the Monarchs a 34-30 lead. Hurlbut made her next four field goals, including two three-pointers.

“That was a big momentum basket,” Mulligan said. “She was looking to get her confidence. She hits that bucket and she’s feeling really strong.”

After shooting 25.8% in the first half (8 for 31), Mater Dei made seven of 15 field goals in the third quarter. And their defense, which forced 22 turnovers (16 steals) shined.

“They play great defense,” Mulligan said. “Mendoza gets her hand on so many balls and makes you look bad. We could have buried them in the first half if we wouldn’t have turned the ball over. They [Mater Dei] were cold and we had every opportunity.”

Mendoza scored six of her 11 points in the third quarter--four came on free throws--as she spearheaded an offensive attack that included driving aggressively to the basket. Tina Garcia (10 rebounds) also finished with 11 points.