Big-Game Week Is Moving Experience for Family

Tonight is a big night for the Barnett family. Rosary’s Maggie Barnett goes to Santa Margarita High to play a critical Serra League game against the team coached by her uncle, Rich Schaaf.

Until Saturday, Schaaf had lived in the Barnett’s upstairs bedroom.

“It’s basketball season,” Schaaf said this week. “It was getting a little cold at home, a little tense.”

The Barnetts hinted to Schaaf that it was time to make his exit after living at their home in Orange the last two years. He has lived with his sister (and Maggie’s mother), Patty, and her husband, John, off and on for about six years over a 20-year span. All of Patty’s siblings have lived there at some point.

“I think they were blown away by how fast I left,” said Schaaf, who took an apartment in Irvine, about 15 minutes from work. “They’ve been real good to me. I can’t complain. I probably should have moved out about a year ago.”

This isn’t the first time it has been testy during basketball season at the Barnetts’ house, especially when the conflicting interests play each other. But this year there’s more at stake than the usual nonleague game. Both schools are in the four-team Serra League, and the two automatic playoff berths will probably be decided between Mater Dei, ranked third in the county, ninth-ranked Rosary and Santa Margarita.

What’s more, Venessa Ferragamo, Maggie’s best friend and a neighbor of the Barnetts, plays for Santa Margarita.

SAMPSON ON THE MEND

Mater Dei center Jamal Sampson, who has been out for two weeks because of an illness, should return next week, Coach Gary McKnight said Wednesday.

Sampson, a 6-foot-11 junior, is averaging 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Monarchs, the top-ranked boys’ team in the county.

“He had a virus,” McKnight said. “He’s lost about 12 pounds, but he looks a lot better now. Today, he was eating everything in sight.”

McKnight said Sampson would not play in Friday’s Serra League game at Bellflower St. John Bosco.

“He should be ready by [next] Wednesday,” McKnight said.

MS. EFFICIENCY

Mater Dei has one of the Southern Section’s best girls’ basketball teams too, and one of the reasons is the play of Kyra Melville.

“She does so many different things,” Coach Ollie Martin said, “and does them so well.”

She’s the defensive captain, and along with Maile Shimoda, always guards one of the opponent’s two best scorers.

Melville, a 5-9 guard, gives the Monarchs a lot of flexibility on offense; she has played every position except center.

She is shooting 56% from the field and averaging 13.7 points. She’s also shooting 72.9% from the free-throw line, and is averaging 4.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.6 steals.

“She might be the team’s most efficient player,” Martin said. “She’s averaging two assists per turnover, and everything she does, she does extremely well.”

Melville and the Monarchs get a good challenge at 7 p.m. Saturday when they host Riverside North. The Huskies defeated Mater Dei three times last season, extending the margin of victory in each game.

“I’m anxious to play them,” Martin said. “They’re a great defensive team with tremendous athletes, but we have a lot more ways to attack this year. We’re a lot more effective.”

Melville is one of the reasons.

ON THE TRAIL OF VILLA PARK

Villa Park has raced to the front of the Century League boys’ basketball race, but the scramble behind the Spartans will be intense, Santa Ana Valley Coach Kevin Stipp said.

“We’re playing hard and in the Century League anyone can take second or third place,” he said. “Villa Park is about as close to a sure thing for first as you can get.”

Stipp said his Falcons received a big blow when Eliu Fatu, an all-county linebacker and one of the county’s top rebounders last year, decided to skip the basketball season. Fatu averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds last season.

“Eliu Fatu decided to concentrate on getting ready for the college recruiting grind for football,” Stipp said. “This was a mutual decision. He’s on track with core classes and grades, and is looking at several schools.

“It was getting to be too much of a distraction, so we both felt it would best serve him to concentrate on things other than basketball.”

ON THE DOCKET

Rosary at Santa Margarita isn’t the only important girls’ basketball game tonight. Calvary Chapel is trying to keep pace with Cerritos Valley Christian in the Olympic League, and will try to do so at Orange Lutheran, where the Lancers have shown signs of being a formidable threat.

Corona del Mar plays at Costa Mesa in a game between undefeated Pacific Coast League teams, and Woodbridge plays at Irvine, providing a good barometer for both teams in figuring their Sea View League title hopes.

Saturday has some nonleague showcase games, with No. 6 Esperanza at No. 9 Rosary, and No. 8 El Toro at No. 7 Foothill.

Staff writers Michael Itagaki and Paul McLeod contributed to this report.

If you have an item or idea for the prep basketball report, you can fax us at (714)966-5663 or e-mail us at martin.henderson@latimes.com or paul.mcleod@latimes.com or ben.bolch@latimes.com