HS HOOPS: It's a final: Mater Dei 84, Harvard-Westlake 59

In the end, it didn’t matter how much momentum Harvard-Westlake High of Studio City had, or what a dramatic Cinderella story it would have been Tuesday to upset national power Mater Dei of Santa Ana.

When your X’s simply don’t measure up to the other team’s O’s, there is only so much you can do.

Harvard-Westlake (21-8) pushed as hard as it could. Played its heart out for all 32 minutes against an undefeated opponent ranked No. 2 in the nation by USA Today and No. 1 in California by Cal-Hi Sports.

But it was not nearly enough in an 84-59 loss in the second round of the Southern Section Div. I-AA basketball playoffs.

“Mater Dei was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. They were unreal,” Harvard-Westlake’s Renaldo Woolridge said. “They were more talented than any team I’ve ever seen. It was a shock for us.”

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com