Mater Dei Withstands the Pressure

Mater Dei planted the seed for its fourth state title with two defeats in December.

That’s when the Monarchs lost to national powerhouses Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy and Louisville (Ky.) Ballard. The thinking back then was that those games--no matter the outcome--would prepare Mater Dei for whatever situation it faced in the last game of the season.

And the Monarchs were ready during the final frenetic moments of Saturday’s Division I state championship.

Mater Dei hung on to defeat Modesto Christian, 57-54, before a decidedly pro-Crusader crowd of 13,495 at Arco Arena, after Modesto’s Chuck Hayes misfired on the final shot of his high school career, an NBA-range three-pointer that could have tied the score with less than five seconds left.

“I told [Coach Gary Porter] that I wanted the ball. I wanted my last game in my hands,” said Hayes, the Kentucky-bound forward who finished with a game-high 18 points and 20 rebounds. “I didn’t want anyone else to take that shot.”

Crusader guard Richard Midgley grabbed the rebound, dribbled beyond the three-point arc and threw up a shot at the buzzer that was well short, giving the Monarchs their first state title since 1995.

Mater Dei players stormed the court in celebration, and Coach Gary McKnight loosened his grasp on the cross he held during the fourth quarter for good luck.

It was Mater Dei’s first title in three tries at Arco; the Monarchs won their first three championships--in 1987, ’90 and ‘95--at the Oakland Coliseum.

Mater Dei (33-2) rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit with full-court pressure, which contributed to Modesto’s 24 turnovers, and newfound aggressiveness on the offensive end. The Monarchs outscored the Crusaders, 20-9, in the third quarter to pull ahead, 44-40, entering the fourth. They would never relinquish the lead.

“We were just having fun out there,” said Mater Dei guard Shaun Michel, who finished with nine points, including a free throw that gave the Monarchs a three-point cushion with 10 seconds to go.

The Monarchs appeared in control when center Jamal Sampson grabbed a miss by Mike Strawberry and converted a dunk for a 56-51 edge with less than a minute remaining. But Hayes nailed a baseline three-pointer to pull Modesto Christian (34-4) within 56-54 with 15 seconds left.

Michel then hit one of two free throws to set up Hayes’ final miss.

“We were considering fouling them at the end, but we decided the worst scenario was that they would tie it,” McKnight said.

“We came close the last few years,” said McKnight, whose team lost the state title game to Oakland Fremont in 1999. “To win this is super for our kids.”

Strawberry led the Monarchs with 12 points and eight rebounds, Cedric Bozeman added 11 points and Sampson had eight points, 13 rebounds and five blocks despite sitting out the second quarter with two fouls.

But the Monarchs, who shot 33.8% from the field for the game, were not as sharp as usual. Guard Ricky Porter made only three of 13 shots, and Bozeman made four of 17.

“I don’t think they intimidated us,” Hayes said. “We got out of our rhythm and didn’t play the basketball we’ve been playing in the playoffs.

“Coach said we had a lot of turnovers that killed us down the stretch. Twenty-four turnovers, and a lot of them were not caused by Mater Dei.”

Modesto was seeking its second state title and first in Division I. The Crusaders won a Division V title in 1997.

The victory was especially sweet for the Mater Dei seniors, who comprised one of the most talented classes in school history. Michel was a late addition after transferring from Simi Valley High last May.

“This is what I came for,” said Michel, who played perhaps his finest game in a Monarch uniform.

Said Bozeman: “This solidifies my career. I’ve accomplished everything I wanted to in high school. I’m satisfied.”

NARBONNE HOLDS ON

Lady Gauchos retain state title with win over Berkeley. D12

HISTORIC MOMENT

Bishop Montgomery is first to repeat boys’ and girls’ division titles. D12