Mayfair Express Rolls to Pond

The Lakewood Mayfair boys’ basketball team has had its share of postseason success in Orange County.

The second-seeded Monsoons defeated Tustin on its home floor in a Southern Section Division II-A second-round game, and on Tuesday they got past third-seeded Brea Olinda, 66-57, in a semifinal at La Habra Sonora.

Next stop: Arrowhead Pond.

The Monsoons (22-7) will need the good karma to continue Saturday in the championship if they are to upset top-seeded Santa Ana Mater Dei (30-2), an 85-57 winner over Redondo on Tuesday.

Mater Dei has won four consecutive section titles.

“We’ve waited to play Mater Dei all season,” said Mayfair forward Justin Hawkins, who scored 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter as the Monsoons pulled away. “I want a crack at them.”

Chris Childress and Brian McFadden each scored 17 points for Mayfair, which made seven of 10 free throws in the final 51 seconds to seal the victory.

Brea’s Evan Moore had drawn a foul on a turnaround jumper with 53 seconds left and could have trimmed the Wildcats’ deficit to three points if he had hit the free throws.

However, he missed and Brea was unable to recover.

Moore led the Wildcats (25-4) with 23 points and John Pohlen scored 14.

The game went back and forth until Dejon Prejean hit a baseline jumper to give Mayfair a 33-31 lead to open the third quarter.

The Monsoons increased their lead to nine points late in the quarter before Brea began its comeback.

-- Ben Bolch

Los Angeles Loyola 73, Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley 69 -- With all five starters scoring in double figures, the top-seeded Cubs (25-4) survived a frantic fourth-quarter comeback to win the Division I-A semifinal at Loyola Marymount.

Omar Wilkes scored 20 points and Vince Oliver added 15 for Loyola.

Capistrano Valley (21-8) trailed by 16 points going into the fourth quarter and had no timeouts left. But the Cougars pulled to within 70-67 with 54 seconds left on a three-point basket by Davis Baker, who scored all 28 of his points in the second half, 16 in the fourth quarter.

Loyola needed clutch free throws from Oliver and Adam Bonifer in the final 35 seconds to hold off the Cougars. George Fedorovtsev had 20 points and 11 rebounds for Capistrano Valley.

The Cubs will play Moreno Valley Canyon Springs, a 71-55 winner over Los Alamitos, in a division championship game Saturday at the Arrowhead Pond.

-- Eric Sondheimer

In girls’ games:

Long Beach Poly 42, Rialto Eisenhower 32 -- It wasn’t pretty, but Long Beach Poly was more than happy to settle for the victory. The Jackrabbits (28-2) committed 19 turnovers, but Eisenhower (25-5) had 24, including 12 in the first quarter.

Eisenhower didn’t score for the first four minutes and fell behind, 8-0, but managed to rally for a 19-18 lead at halftime. The Eagles trailed by only 34-32 after Mallory Avila made a three-pointer with 3:03 left in the game.

But Eisenhower, making its first semifinal appearance, failed to score again. The Eagles made only four of 23 field-goal attempts in the second half.

Poly didn’t shoot much better. The Jackrabbits made only 16 of 53 from the field and nine of 18 free throws.

“It’s good when you play that poorly and still find a way to win,” Poly Coach Carl Buggs said. “That’s what team is all about.”

Laura Dinkins had eight points and 12 rebounds for Eisenhower.

Poly will meet top-seeded Lynwood, a 43-34 winner over Palmdale, in a division final at the Pyramid in Long Beach.

The Jackrabbits were led by Judith Smith, who had 10 points and six steals. Cynthia Buggs, Rosalyn Omoruyi and Natasha Gray each had six points.

-- Martin Henderson

Newhall Hart 48, Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley 44 -- Ashlee Trebilcock scored 23 points and visiting Hart (24-5) closed with a 5-0 run in the final 1:40 to win a Division I-A semifinal at Mission Viejo Trabuco Hills.

The Indians will meet San Clemente, a 71-58 winner over Moreno Valley Canyon Springs, in a division final at the Pyramid.

Devin Lewis scored 17 points for Capistrano Valley (21-8).