Dana Hills Makes a Little History by Beating Mater Dei

On Friday Dana Hills did what 71 previous South Coast League opponents failed to do--beat Mater Dei in boys’ basketball.

Senior forward Todd Pittman scored 17 of his game-high 26 points in the second half to help the Dolphins (10-9, 3-0) brush off a six-point, half-time deficit and upset the seventh-ranked Monarchs, 53-46, at the UC Irvine Bren Center.

It was the first South Coast loss in boys’ basketball for Mater Dei (10-5, 2-1). Mater Dei’s last league loss was to Servite in the 1991 Angelus League opener. They had gone 90 games without losing in league. Dana Hills Coach Mark Thornton, whose team now has won four in a row after a 6-9 start, said the Dolphins’ size, strength and second-half poise won the game for them.

“In the first half we looked like freshmen instead of seniors,” Thornton said. “We just told them to settle down and do the things we can.

“We played some pretty good defense to hold that team to only 46 points.”

McKnight said there was no mystery to the Dana Hills victory.

“They played harder than we did,” McKnight said. “At times we got soft, and Mark is a very good coach. But when you are a young team like we are, you are going to make mistakes, and we made too many tonight.”

Indeed. The Dolphins’ defense pressured Mater Dei into 24 turnovers and recorded 19 steals. Mater Dei missed 34 of 47 shots, which thwarted any chance to get back into the game once Dana Hills assumed its biggest lead, 50-42, with two minutes to play.

Dolphins center Tim McKee set an early defensive tone, blocking the first three Monarch shots. But Mater Dei was making free throws--11 of 15 for the half, 18 of 25 for the game--which helped forge a 24-14 lead late in the second quarter.

Pittman made two quick baskets to close the gap to 24-18 at the half, then scored four of Dana Hills’ first six points to open the second half.

Dana Hills, which made 14 of 21 shots in the second half after going eight for 25 in the first half, outscored Mater Dei, 18-9, in the third quarter to take the lead for good, 36-33.

Derrick Mansell and Mike Bayer each scored 10 points for Mater Dei. Bayer also had a game-high 14 rebounds.

In other South Coast League games:

Capistrano Valley 61, Trabuco Hills 45--Mike Stowell and Bart Godecki led Capistrano Valley (12-6, 1-2) with 11 points apiece. Jermaine McDaniel and Tommy Pincott each had 10. Ryan Webster led visiting Trabuco Hills (9-9, 1-2) with 12 points.

San Clemente 51, Mission Viejo 47--Semaj Johnson had 15 points, Mitch Pierce had 13 and Oscar Montecinos 10 for San Clemente (11-6, 2-1).