Etiwanda vs. Mater DeiWhere--The Pond, 8:30 tonight.Mater...

Etiwanda vs. Mater Dei

Where--The Pond, 8:30 tonight.

Mater Dei (29-2)--The top-seeded Monarchs, ranked second in the state, have not been overly impressive in victory this season. They just win. This is a seasoned team led by senior guard Kevin Augustine, who averages 18.9 points and 8.9 assists.

Etiwanda (24-5)--The unseeded Eagles are the giant killers in the division. They rallied from eight points down against second-seeded Riverside J.W. North, outscoring the Huskies, 18-7, in the fourth quarter of their semifinal game Tuesday and held on for a 74-68 upset. North was denied a seventh consecutive appearance in a section final.

Key to the game--Etiwanda is aggressive, physical and, without any playoff history to speak of, playing without a lot of pressure. Senior center Jeremy Sargent, who has been an offensive force around the basket, said the Eagles are used to being taken lightly. A big key will be the condition of Augustine, who is nursing a stiff left knee and battling a recurring problem in his right shoulder, which he separated a year ago. But even without Augustine at full strength, this is a veteran Mater Dei team that has won 19 in a row.

Starting Lineups

MATER DEI

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P Name Ht. Avg. F Tom Lippold 6-6 16.1 F Anthony Vallas 6-5 6.3 C Mike Vukovich 6-10 13.0 G Kevin Augustine 6-0 18.9 G David Castleton 6-2 11.1

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Coach: Gary McKnight

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ETIWANDA

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P Name Ht. Avg. F Rudy Simpson 6-3 13.2 F Corey Landrum 6-3 14.5 C Jeremy Sargent 6-6 13.2 G Gary Colbert 6-3 17.5 G Matt Donahue 6-2 11.0

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Coach: Dave Kleckner