Mater Dei, Servite Prove Rankings Can Be Wrong

On this, both sides agreed: One nonleague game does not a season make.

However, sixth-ranked Servite’s 46-43 victory over top-ranked Santa Margarita Saturday afternoon in the third annual Nike Extravaganza at the Bren Center can only be classified as stunning.

Rafael Zielonka scored 16 points, Steve Shea had 12 and Evan Friedl had 11 points and seven rebounds for the Friars (19-5), whose defense smothered the Eagles (22-2). It was the second loss in three games for Santa Margarita, which probably will be supplanted by Ocean View as No. 1 when the Orange County top 10 poll is released Tuesday morning.

Servite also expects to move up.

“I’m not going to say we’re No. 1,” Friars Coach Scott Hamilton said. “Ocean View is very good and one game doesn’t mean the season. But I do believe we are one of the top teams in the county.”

Santa Margarita, which opened the season with 21 consecutive victories, got one point from its leading scorer, swingman Ryan Forehan-Kelly, and nothing from 6-foot-7 center Dekker McKeever or top substitute forward Carson Palmer. Point guard T.J. Williams, playing on an injured knee, led all scorers with 21 points, but that was it. The Eagles made 14 of 43 field-goal attempts.

“They played better than us,” Forehan-Kelly said. “We were a little tired from last night, but they just played better.”

The loss closed a tough week for Santa Margarita. The Eagles lost, 50-47, to Newport Harbor in a Sea View League game Wednesday, but recovered with a 61-44 victory over visiting El Toro Friday night.

“You have spurts in the season,” Santa Margarita Coach Jerry DeBusk said. “You hit walls, and we don’t feel like we are playing our best basketball right now.”

Servite, which has won four straight since losing by one point at No. 2 Ocean View two weeks ago, had been preparing for this game since the summer, players said afterward. And they celebrated as if it was a championship final. Shortly after the final buzzer, the Friars whooped it up in front of their bench, cheering and slam-dancing with about 50 students who poured out of the stands.

“Certainly, this is the biggest game we have had since I have been here at Servite,” Hamilton said.

In other early-session action:

Ocean View 54, Etiwanda 41--In a cold-shooting first half, Casey Lawson’s basket with six seconds left gave the Seahawks a nine-point lead. The lead was as big as 19 points in the second half before Etiwanda (17-6) put on a run. Matt Donahue’s basket cut the Seahawks’ lead to 46-38 with 2:34 left. But Ocean View (19-4) made six of 10 free throws down the stretch. Kevin Hanson (13 points) and Matt Kiemle (10 points) led Ocean View.

Etiwanda’s leading scorer, Gary Colbert, an All-Southern Section Division I selection last season, got in early foul trouble and finished with nine points, seven rebounds and six turnovers. Donahue led the Eagles with 12 points.

“That team just took us out of our offense all day,” Etiwanda Coach Dave Kleckner said.

Los Alamitos 69, Capistrano Valley 62--The teams were coming off big victories Friday--Capistrano Valley over Trabuco Hills and the Griffins over Marina

Los Alamitos took the early lead and never looked back, getting 21 points and 15 rebounds from center Matt Komer, 18 points and 13 rebounds from Ryan Ellis and 15 points from reserve guard Rick Garibay. Enrique Phillips had five assists.

Capistrano Valley made six of 22 field-goal attempts in the first half and trailed by 13 points. Guard Tom Pincott scored 15 points and center Josh Garrett had 14 points and 15 rebounds before fouling out with 5:05 remaining. Guard Jermaine McDaniel scored 12 points and had six assists and forward Mike Stowell had seven assists.