Artesia Advances With a Big Assist

Santa Ana Mater Dei deserves some of the credit for Lakewood Artesia’s 73-46 victory over Glendora in the Division I Southern California regional semifinals Thursday night at Gahr High.

Before the game, Artesia Coach Wayne Merino and his staff spent hours studying tapes of Mater Dei’s victory over Glendora in last week’s Southern Section I-A final in hopes of slowing down All-America guard Casey Jacobsen.

Artesia (32-2) wound up stopping him cold.

Jacobsen was held to 10 points--20 below his season average--and the result was a long night for Glendora (31-3). Jacobsen didn’t score his first points until midway through the third quarter and made only three of 11 shots. Glendora made only 17 of 51 shots.

So perhaps it is only fitting that top-seeded Artesia will play Mater Dei, a 66-64 winner Thursday night over Manual Arts, in the Division I regional final Saturday in San Diego.

Forward Amaury Fernandez finished with 21 points and nine rebounds, Jack Martinez added 20 points and five blocks and All-American swingman Jason Kapono had 11 points and 10 assists for Artesia.

Kapono sprained his left ankle in the second half, but Merino is hopeful Kapono will be healthy enough to play Saturday.