Mater Dei made 12 3-point shots, including six from senior Katin Reinhardt, and topped host St. John Bosco 86-71 in Friday night's first-place showdown in the Trinity League.
The Monarchs (19-2, 6-0 Trinity League) made eight of 11 3-pointers in the first quarter and held a 32-11 lead after eight minutes. Reinhardt scored 17 points in the first and finished with 22.
Bosco (16-5, 5-1) clawed its way to within nine points (55-46) in the third but never got closer. Junior Isaac Hamilton was outstanding for the Braves, scoring 32 points on 11-of-19 shooting from the floor. His younger brother Daniel scored 13 and Darryl Matthews scored 10, including six in the third while SJB tried to get back into the game.
Senior forward Mark Uy scored seven - including a 3-pointer to open the second half - and grabbed six rebounds. His play helped spark the Braves' rally in the third quarter.
"He's really, really smart and he never does things he cannot do," said first-year Bosco coach Derrick Taylor. "He always plays within himself."
Bosco's gym was filled to capacity in anticipation of the game, a situation that is quite normal for the defending CIF State Division I champion Monarchs, but not so much for the Braves. Taylor called the atmosphere Mater Dei's "normal environment" while his squad suffered from "stage fright."
Mater Dei is ranked No. 1 in CIF-SS Division I-AA and the state and is 16th in the country according to USA Today. Taylor knows he won't face a team of that caliber in Division III-A, where the Braves are ranked No. 2, and he was proud of how his team played hard throughout the game.
"We know we can play, we know we can compete," he said.
Bosco done in from long range
About the Bloggers
Prep Sports Editor Dave Werstine has worked in and around the greater Long Beach area covering high school sports since the mid-1980s. Dave sums up his own athletic career as a "Jack of all trades and a master of none." Whether the ball is kicked, hit or thrown, Dave enjoys being part of it. If you have game, e-mail opinions, story ideas or news tips to dave.werstine@dailybreeze.com.
David Felton is a lifelong sports fan who began covering prep athletics in 1990. He's lived and worked in Long Beach since 2000 and has developed a deep respect and appreciation for the athletic history of this community. Email him at dave.felton@dailybreeze.com.
Robert Morales began covering prep sports in the greater Long Beach area in 2007. When a local football coach asked him how he felt about reporting on preps after many years of covering boxing, auto racing and various other sports, he replied, "Hey, if I'm going to cover prep sports anywhere, I'm glad it's this area because of the level of athletics, the intensity displayed by the athletes and coaches and the support of the community." Email him at robert.morales@dailybreeze.com.
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