Mater Dei Employs Its Reserve Strength to Top Fontana Miller

Seldom-used reserve Nick Reynolds made the best of his one minute of fame Tuesday night in the first round of the Division I boys’ basketball Southern California Regionals.

The 6-foot-6 junior forward had four points, one key offensive rebound and played strong interior defense in the final minute of the second quarter to help Mater Dei upend pesky Fontana Miller, 83-74, at Ocean View High.

In the next round, Mater Dei will play Los Angeles Westchester, which beat Vista Rancho Buena Vista, 66-63. The two teams met in the final of the Tournament of Champions on Dec. 16. The Monarchs won, 71-63.

This may have been the 21st consecutive victory for Mater Dei (31-2), the state’s second-ranked team, but it was not one of those games that Monarch fans go home happy about.

After making 33 of 35 free throws attempts in an 88-70 Southern Section championship victory over Etiwanda Saturday at the Pond, Mater Dei made just 32 of 51 attempts Tuesday.

Miller (22-9) wasn’t much better, making only six of 19. But the Rebels were successful in exploiting Mater Dei’s defense for 13 offensive rebounds, turning many into baskets. They made 33 of 58 field goals overall.

One, from guard Mark Esquer off his own missed free throw with 1 minute 40 seconds to go, cut a Mater Dei lead to 76-66. A three-pointer by guard Ramon Beltran made it 78-71 with 46 seconds remaining.

But Mater Dei, without standout guard Kevin Augustine on the floor, held off Miller with five free throws down the stretch.

Augustine, who scored 32 points and made all 18 of his free throws against Etiwanda, was clearly bothered by a partial muscle tear in his right shoulder. He left the game in the final 1:41, with 16 points and seven assists.

Center Mike Vukovich led Mater Dei with 23 points and nine rebounds. Forward Tom Lippold had 15 points and guard David Castleton had 12. The Monarchs made only 24 of 58 field-goal attempts.

Nevertheless, Reynolds’ performance was a highlight. McKnight sent him into the game to spell forward Anthony Vallas with Mater Dei leading, 34-29, and told him to guard standout Miller 6-7 senior forward Travis Reed, who has orally committed to play at UCLA.

Reed led all scorers with 24 points but Reynolds, who has played all of 58 minutes this season, was all over him like a blanket.

A Reynolds layup from an Augustine pass with 25 seconds to go in the quarter and then Reynolds’ rebound and basket with two seconds left helped build a 40-31 halftime lead.

“That was a turning point,” Miller Coach Gary West said of Reynolds’ performance. “We got impatient, and then we go into the locker room at halftime down by nine.”