SANTA ANA, Ca – There were a few precarious moments early in the second quarter and even into the final minute for the host Mater Dei Monarchs Friday night during the first day of the 21st Nike Extravaganza.
But, ultimately, Coach Gary McKnight’s team had too much for the Shadow Mountain Matadors of Phoenix – specifically too much Michael Cage Jr., Spencer Freedman and Harrison Butler – while securing a 79-72 victory.
With senior guard Michael Bibby Jr. hitting four 3s, the visitors took a one-point lead into the second quarter that stretched into seven points (28-21) midway through the second period.
But Freedman (14) and Cage (12) had strong second quarters to finish the half with a combined 26 of the Monarchs’ 43 first-half points.
And the 6-foot-5 sophomore Butler came off the bench to use his size (his height, strength and very long arms) to making good looks at the rim a lot tougher for Bibby the rest of the way.
Bibby had just one short floater in the second quarter and didn’t score again until very late in the third quarter that ended with Mater Dei (22-3) up seemingly comfortably, 56-43.
The operative word is seemingly as the Matadors (top-ranked in Arizona and 21-5 after the loss) finally got their offense untracked against a solid half-court defense to get within six points in the final minute before the Monarchs tacked on free throws in the closing moments.
Cage and Freedman were especially strong over the final four minutes of the first half and most of the fourth quarter, combining for a couple of lob pass-and-dunk sequence, with the left-handed Freedman the lobbing after dribbling through pressure and Cage doing the slamming after catching the passes and punching them through the iron.
Cage finished with 22 points, eight rebounds and four assists while Freedman added 19 points with five assists. Butler (10) also hit double figures in scoring.
Mater Dei faces McDonald’s All-American T.J. Leaf and El Cajon Foothills Christian Saturday night at 8:45 in the last of nine games to be play on the event’s second and final day.
In the other two boys games played Friday:
*Bellflower St. John Bosco 50, Sun Valley Village Christian 47: The Braves shot a cringe-worthy (for Coach Matt Dunn, at least) 21 percent from the field while falling behind by 12 points to the Crusaders at intermission.
The jump shooters hands got a bit warmer in the second half and they tightened up their defense a bit and held off the team from the San Fernando Valley and improving to 18-7 while looking like a team that stands to make a significant impact on the CIF Southern Section I-AA playoff bracket in a couple of weeks.
Junior J.J. Watson and freshman Makani Whiteside combined to hit just 10 of 33 from the field (including six of 18 from behind the arc) as the guards scored 19 and nine points respectively.
But Dunn’s club got a nice lift from senior forward Eduardo Dalle Torre, who scored 10 of his eventual e 12 points in the first half and finished with a Friday-best (for all teams) of 12 rebounds
*San Juan Capistrano JSerra 83, L.A. Windward 58: The Lions, who have won just one of eight games in the Trinity League, found the competition offered by the squad from the Gold Coast League more hospitable in the first game played Friday afternoon.
The Wildcats (8-14) were up by a three points after the first quarter but junior post Sebastian Much (24 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and a couple of blocked shots) and senior guard Alex Hickman (27 points) pretty much spent the rest of the going anywhere and do anything they wanted to do with the ball in their possession.
The Lions (15-9) return to their reality – the Trinity League – over the final week of the regular season with a home game against St. John Bosco on Tuesday night and a trip to Anaheim to face Servite Thursday.
DAY II
The traveling road show that is the 2015-16 Chino Hills High basketball team continued to entertain packed houses – and frustrate its competition – during Saturday’s second night of the 21st Nike Extravaganza at Mater Dei High.
With an estimated 3,000-plus looking on, McDonald’s All-American Lonzo Ball helped the nation’s top-ranked team improve to 25-0 with a 98-81 victory over the Las Vegas Bishop Gorman Gaels.
And, in the next and final of nine games played Saturday, the host Mater Dei Monarchs collected their most impressive victory of the season, improving to 23-3 while toppling San Diego’s best team, El Cajon Foothills Christian, 61-53.
The Chino Hills Huskies, facing an opponent that had knocked off prep school powerhouse Findlay Prep (Henderson, NV) a few weeks ago, sprinted to 58-36 advantage at intermission and fell just a bucket short of hitting the century mark in scoring for the 13th time. They’ve also hit 90 or more eight times.
Ball didn’t waste much time in demonstrating to the previously uninitiated why he’s a strong candidate for National Player of the Year honors, burying three 3s from points well beyond the NBA arc in the first quarter.
And there were the usual quota of spectacular drives, passes and steals, too, while finishing with 27 points and being credited with eight rebounds, seven assists and seven steals.
But his teammates – including junior and freshman brothers LiAngelo and LaMelo – were also key elements to the show.
LiAngelo scored 22 points to go with five rebounds and four assists while the 14-year-old LaMelo went for 25 points and six assists.
Six-five junior Elizjah Scott (22 points, five rebounds, seven assists and three steals) and 6-9 freshman Onyeka Okonwu (12 rebounds and three blocks) also provided their share of entertainment bang-for-the-buck for SRO crowd.
Bishop Gorman (18-7) got 20 points 12 rebounds and six blocked shots from 7-foot, Gonzaga-bound McDonald’s All-American Zach Collins while Charles O’Bannon Jr. – a likely 2017 All-American – scored 22 points eight nine rebounds.
In the final game, Michael Cage Jr. – impressive the night before in the win over Phoenix Shadow Mountain – went for 20 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots during the nearly wire-to-wire victory over a team that came into the game No. 4 in the most recent BurlisonOnBasketball SoCal Top 25.
No other Monarch scored in double figures although sophomores Reagan Lundeen (eight) and Harrison Butler combined for 14 points with Butler grabbing a team-high eight rebounds and blocking three shots.
Six-ten T.J. Leaf – like Lonzo Ball, a UCLA-bound McDonald’s All-American – went for 27 points12 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and six steals.
In the other games:
*Corona Centennial 50, Concord De La Salle 46: The Huskies were down 12 points early but recovered nicely while improving 19-6 with the “upset” of Northern California’s top team.
The Spartans fell to 20-2 with their only other defeat coming to Bishop Gorman during the MaxPreps Holiday Classic in Rancho Mirage the week after Christmas.
Long Beach State-bound guard Jordan Griffin scored 20 points for the Huskies while USF signee Jordan Ratinho led DLS with 17 but missed 12 of his 15 attempts from behind the arc.
Centennial “Twin Towers” Ike Anigbogu and Jalen Hill combined for 21 rebounds and four blocked shots.
*L.A. Westchester 70, Orange Lutheran 50: The Comets, who play host to L.A. City rival Fairfax Friday, had no difficulties while improving to 22-5 and dropping the Lancers to 20-5.
Six-seven senior Keith Fisher (13 points) led a balancing scoring attack as Coach Ed Azzam was able to substitute early and frequently.
The Lancers suffered a significant blow when, while leading 11-6, senior point Kavaughn Scott suffered an apparent injury to his right foot and didn’t return. He spent the rest of the contest sitting on the bench in warm-ups and with the foot in a walking boot.
*L.A. Fairfax 65, Los Alamitos 56: The freshman pair of Ethan Anderson and Robert McRae was mostly terrific while helping the Lions to 24-3 while dropping the Griffins to 21-4.
Anderson and McRae each scored 15 points and continually made significant plays down the stretch to hold off the No. 2-ranked team (behind Mater Dei, naturally) in Orange County.
UC Irvine-bound guard Eyassu Worku scored 27 points for the Griffins despite being guarded by multiple defenders and often double-teamed.
*Santa Margarita 60, Etiwanda 45: The Eagles (16-8) added to their CIF Southern Section Open Division candidacy with their most impressive victory since December.
The sibling backcourt of Noah and Kaden Rasheed combined for 27 points while posts Jordan Guest and Adrease Jackson combined for 19 points, 11 rebounds and four assists.
Junior guard Miles Oliver led the Eagles (17-8) with 13 points.
*Chino Hills Ayala 62, Anaheim Servite 33: The Bulldogs, likely to climb from their most recent No. 13 BurlisonOnBasketball rating, improved to 23-2 in a defensively dominant performance.
The Friars (13-13) shot just 27 percent from the field while committing 15 turnovers.
Senior post John Edgar Jr. (whose father played for Lute Olson at the University of Arizona in the 1980s) scored 25 points and grabbed 14 rebounds before fouling out late.
Fellow seniors Austen Awosika (a Cal State Fullerton signee) and Miles President added 13 points apiece for the Bulldogs.
*Palm Desert 43, Corona Santiago 32: Junior Will Struthers scored 11 points and senior Gabe Martinez added 10 points and 10 rebounds as the Aztecs broke out to an 18-point edge at intermission and cruised over the final 16 minutes.
The Shark hit just 10 of their 54 shots from the floor (18.5 percent).
*La Habra Sonora 73, Ontario Colony 66: Colony trailed by as many as 24 points in the first half before getting as close as to with two points in the final minute.
But Sonora (17-9) hung on as 6-5 junior Austin Carter led the way with 25 points, six rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots.
Senior Christian Sellers led Colony (20-7) with 20 points.
