CIF State Basketball Friday: No. 2 Mater Dei girls make case

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - California Interscholastic Federation State championship updates from Robobank Arena. For much more snapshots and slices, CLICK HERE to Martin Henderson's Friday notebook.

Division II Girls

Carondelet-Concord (27-5) vs. Mater Dei-Santa Ana (31-1)

With their leader fouled out and a game seemingly well in hand slipping away - not to mention a possible mythical national championship - Mater Dei junior and unsung hero Jessica Duarte pulled sophomore point guard Jordan Adams aside.

"We have to take over," she said "We've worked way too hard to let it slip away."

The Monarchs wouldn't - getting huge shots and plays from Duarte and Adams down the stretch, not to mention a shot from the seat of her pants by senior forward Shayla Batson to pull out a harder-than-it-probably-needed-to-be 58-43 win over Carondelet-Concord on Friday.

Harder because Mater Dei (32-1) did all the things that has made them the No. 2 team in the nation during a near-flawless first half. That led the Monarchs to a 34-17 halftime lead.

When Carondelet's top player, 6-foot-1 junior Erica Payne fouled out just two minutes into the third quarter, the apparent cakewalk was on.

But, forwhatever reason, the referees continued calling things extra tight, the Monarchs relaxed and the Cougars caught fire, eventually closing to 39-33 early in the fourth quarter behind the efforts of 6-3 post Erin Boettcher (12 points, 16 rebounds) and Hannah Huffman (13 points, 11 rebounds).

With National Player of the Year candidate and Connecticut-bound Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis saddled with four fouls - she fouled out with 5:15 remaining and 21 points - it was up to Adams and Duarte to steer this ship home.

Adams, considered the nation's top sophomores, fulfulled her promise with 12 points and nine rebounds. But it was the play of Duarte - and her leadership - that caught most off guard. She finished with 19 points and five points and a lot of moxie.

Fittingly she finished off this one with a 3-pointer from the corner after the Monarchs had spent entire 30 seconds of the shot clock playing keepaway.

A few minutes earlier, also right before the shot-clock buzzer, Batson lost her footing and while on her wallet fired up a 7-footer that swished through the net.

"Play No. 36," Mater Dei coach Kevin Kiernan said with a smirk. "We run that every day at practice."

LIVE BLOG:

FIRST QUARTER: Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, considered the top junior in the country, has three layups in the first 2:30 and Mater Dei is up 11-2. Carondelet closes to 13-7, but Jordan Adams, considered the top sophomore in the country, feeds Jessica Duarte who makes a 3-point play to give Mater Dei a 16-7 lead. MATER DEI 16, CARONDELET 7.

SECOND QUARTER: This one looks over as the Monarchs scored 12 of the first 14 points and leads 28-11 with 3:52 left in the half. Carondelet simply can't get any good looks, while Mosqueda Lewis, Adams and Duarte are in rythum.

By halftime, the Connecticut-bound Mosqueda-Lewis already has nice game totals with 16 points, which is almost as many as Carondelet, which is 5 of 22 from the floor (23 percent). Payne is keeping it respectable for Carondelet with seven points and 10 rebounds, but the Cougars are in serious trouble. MATER DEI 34, CARONDELET 17.

THIRD QUARTER; In one of the strangest quarters you'll ever see, Carondelet has made a game of it beind the inside work of 6-3 New Mexico-bound Erin Boettscher and 5-10 sophomore guard Hannah Huffman.

The referees took control and some might suggest the flow completely away from the game as Carondelet's top player Payne fouled out by committing three fouls in a matter of 45 seconds. She was disqualified with 5:53 remaining in the third quarter and Carondelet down 34-18.

Almost as important, Mosqueda-Lewis was called for two quick fouls, giving her four and she was on the bench.

That opened the door for Boettscher and Huffman to go to work as the Cougars finished the quarter on an 11-0 run to close within eight. Huffman, held scoreless in the first half, finished it off with a fastbreak layup and a driving jumper. Mater Dei, meanwhile, looked lost with its star and leader on the bench. MATER DEI 39, CARONDELET 31.

FOURTH QUARTER: Remarkably, the Cougars closed to within 39-33 on another jumper by Huffman. And when Mosqueda-Lewis fouled out with 5:15 left, it looked like Carondelet might pull this off.

But Carondelet simply couldn't find the bucket, making just 14 of 49 shots (28 percent) and 14 of 25 free throws.

Meanwhile, the Monarchs, fighting for a mythical national championship, simply toughed it out, led by Adams (12 points, nine rebounds) and Duarte (19 points). A 3-pointer by Duarte as the shot clock hit zero, clinched the hard-earned victory. Despite being out-rebounded 48-29, Mater Dei won by 15. MATER DEI 58, CARONDELET 43.

Division II Boys

Lincoln-San Diego 74, St. Francis 59

A couple missed shots, a few turnovers and St. Francis watched Lincoln of San Diego fly by.

Literally.

The high-flying and entertaining Knights flew out to a 15-2 lead and as hard as the Lancers battled and scrapped – like they had all season – they could never catch up, losing in the title game at Robobank Arena.

Norman Powell, an explosive 6-foor-3 junior, and Victor Dean, a long and lean 6-7 senior, had 24 points each for Lincoln (29-2), which won its second state title.

Powell had five dunks, three highly spectacular, and Dean had three dunks while making 9 of 12 shots. Most of them were from the interior as we all of Lincoln’s makes.

St. Francis was the first team to ever go 14-0 in West Catholic Athletic League play and it captured the Northern California championship utilizing waves of depth, 3-point shooting and cohession. The Lancers simply were no match for the length and athleticism of the Hornets.

"Athleticism, our length – we took advantage of that – we crashed the glass," Lincoln coach Jason Bryant said. "In the second quarter (St. Francis) wanted it, but we weanted it in the second half we finally woke up. We defended well.

"We needed to out-tough them and be physical in the fourth quarter."

The Hornets made 26 of 56 shots, while St. Francis (30-4) made just 20 of 62. The Lancers got 13 points each from Patrick Crowley and Tim Wang, Spencer Britschgi 12 and Tyler Johnson added 10.

“They just put the ball in the hole and we didn’t,” St. Francis coach Mike Motil said. “They were as athletic as any team we’ve seen, but it was their length that really bothered us. I tell you what though, there’s never any quit in these guys.”

Indeed, the Lancers were down 25 in the fourth quarter but 3-pointers by Crowley, Wang and Britschgi narrowed the margin all the way to 67-54. But that’s as close as St. Francis would get.

“We’ve had a great season,” Britschgi said. “I just wish we could start that game over. I think we were a little intimidated by the venue and we could never recover.”

Lincoln 74, St. Francis 59

LINCOLN (29-2)

Rasean Simpson 1-5 0-3 2, Norman Powell 8-18 7-10 24, Tyree Robinson 4-7 3-5 11, Victor Dean 9-12 4-6 24, Nathan Maxey 0-2 1-2 1, Javonte Byrd 0-2 0-0 0, Tyrell Robinson 1-6 0-0 3, Andre Cherry 0-1 0-0 0, Joshua Smith 3-3 2-5 8, Deion Jones 0-0 1-2 1. Totals 26-56 18-33 74.

ST. FRANCIS (30-4)

Spencer Britschgi 4-14 2-2 12, Robert Bates 1-3 1-2 3, Lamond McCoy 0-2 1-4 1, James Osorio 1-3 0-0 3, Patrick Crowley 5-8 0-0 13, Tim Wang 5-15 1-3 13, Ivan Margaretic 0-0 2-4 2, tyler Johnson 3-10 4-4 10, Drew Dickey 0-1 0-0 0, Drew Silver 1-6 0-0 2. Totals 20-62 11-19 59.

Lincoln           21   14   22   17  -  74

St. Francis     10   15    9   25   -  59

3--point goals: Lincoln 4-14 (Dean 2, Powell, Robinson), St. Francis 8 (Crowley 3, Brittschgi 2, Wang 2, Osorio). Rebounds: Lincoln 44 (Dean 8), St. Francis 39 (Johnson 8). Assists: Lincoln 6, St. Francis 1. Turnovers: Lincoln 14, St. Francis 14.

Division IV Girls

St. Mary's-Berkeley Panthers (31-3) vs. Harvard-Westlake-North Hollywood Knights (33-1)

FINAL SCORE: Harvard-Westlake 58, St. Mary's 44.

When St. Mary's 6-foot-1 post Emily Vann went inside for a pair of hoops in the first 30 seconds, Harvard-Westlake fans might have thought "oh no."

But the Knights never flinched and showed off their superior skills, especially the guard trio of Sydney Haydel with 20 points, 16 from Nicole Hung and 15 by Nicole Nesbit en route to decisive victory.

St. Mary's, which never left after the first quarter, got 14 points for St. Mary's and nine from Cody Sims.

Vann's early buckets were the only ones she scored the rest of the way. The Panthers' second-leading scorer on the year finished with four.

The Knights (34-1), ranked 25th in the country by MaxPreps.com, adjusted. Much like they did when they got drilled by Mater Dei-Santa Ana 79-42 on Dec. 11. They've won 30 straight since.

"We knew where they wanted to go and we simply tried to speed things up so they wouldn't go there," Harvard-Westlake coach Melissa Hearlihy, who won her first state title in 25th season.

Said Vann: "That was our goal (to get it down low), but after those first two we just couldn't finish. It just wasn't our night."

It was all Harvard-Westlake after the first quarter, when it trailed 12-11.

The Knights got their fullcourt press in high gear and got huge quarters from Princeton-bound Hung and Haydel, who account for all but five points during a 22-10 run.

Hung made four free throws and a putback and Haydel, a 5-8 forward, continued to attack off the press. She had four more driving layups and finished with 15 points for the half, while Hung ad 11.

"You could see (St. Mary's) was getting tired," Haydel said. "We just listened to our coaches and carried out the game plan."

Said Hearlihy: "We had a goal after losing to Mater Dei to win the state championship. It's a credit to these girls and the five seniors who have been through the program for four years. They set a goal and achieved it."

LIVE BLOG

FIRST QUARTER: The ultimate see-saw quarter as St. Mary's scored two interior buckets in the first 30 seconds, didn't score for five minutes, then got outscored 11-2 before scoring the last six on a layup by Cody Sims and four points from St. Mary's College-bound Danielle Mauldin.

Sydney Haydel scored a couple nifty left-hand layups for the Knights. ST. MARY'S 12, HARVARD-WESTLAKE 11.

SECOND QUARTER: The Knights take control behind it's fullcourt pressure and a huge quarter from Princeton-bound Nicole Hung and Haydel, who account for all but five points during a 22-10 run.

Hung made four free throws and a putback and Haydel, a 5-8 forward, continued to attack off the press. She had four more driving layups and finished with 15 points for the half, while Hung ad 11.

Danielle Mauldin is keeping St. Mary's somewhat in it with 10 points, but the Panthers have 12 turnovers - according to the official statistician, who we all agree missed a half-dozen. Haydel and Nicole Nesbit had three steals each for the half. HARVARD-WESTLAKE 33, ST. MARY'S 22.

THIRD QUARTER: Hung, a terrific all-around 5-11 guard, started an 9-0 run in the first 1:40 with an outside jumper and drive layup. Skylar Tsutsui finished it off with a 3-pointer.

With 6:22 left in the third, Harvard-Westlake is now in complete command, up 42-22.

Sims breaks the drought with a 3-pointer, but the Panthers can't get within 15 the rest of the quarter. HARVARD-WESTLAKE 49, ST. MARY'S 32.

Division IV Boys

St. Mary's-Berkeley Panthers (26-9) vs. Price-Los Angeles Knights (33-3)

Final score: Price 69, St. Mary's 51.

Simply, the Knights (34-3) had too much length and too many future Cal Bears.

The lethal and long duo of 6-foot-9 Richard Solomon and 6-6 Allen Crabbe combined for 47 points and 16 rebounds as Price won its six state championship, but first at the Division IV level.

Solomon played only 19 minutes before fouling out with 3:59 remaining, but dominated down low with 22 points, six rebounds and five dunks. He made 9 of 11 shots. Crabbe was 8 of 15 from the floor, made 8 of 9 free throws and finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds.

Crabbe and Solomon both have signed letters of intents to Cal, located in Berkeley and about a mile from the St. Mary's campus.

They were a bad matchup for the Panthers, who don't have a player taller than 6-4. That led to 10 Price dunks.

"No, I wasn't thinking even thinking about that," said Crabbe, when asked if he was trying to show Berkeley residents what they'll be seeing the next four years. "I just was thinking this was my last game at Price and bringing home the title."

Said Solomon, who transferred from Bishop Montgomery-Torrance after losing in last year's Division IV state championship game at the buzzer. "This was just about Price. I wasn't thinking about Berkeley. I wasn't thinking about (Bishop Montgomery). We all just focused about winning for Price."

It helped also to have 6-7 Skylar Spencer, who added 10 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks, and St. Mary's was never really in this one after a 13-0 Price run starting late in the first quarter.

St. Mary's (26-10) kept getting to the basket, but the Panthers were either rejected or had their shot changed.

They played gallantly, forced 19 turnovers, but were outrebounded 43-21. The Panthers got 18 points from gritty 5-10 guard Justin Pllard and 13 by Glenn Baral, but Price did a nice job of containing Dominique and Demetrius Lee, who combined for 14 points and took just 13 shots.

Despite the defeat, St. Mary's coach Manny Nodar called 2009-10 the most satisfying season in his 18-year career.

If only he had a little better scouting report. 

"We were told (Solomon) doesn't like to play in the post," Nodar said. "He sure looked like he did tonight." 

LIVE BLOG 

FIRST HALF (Price 30, St. Mary's 21): The first half was filled with dunks, blocks and fouls but ultimate Price's length was pivotal in it taking a 30-21 halftime lead.

The Panthers got to the hoop no problem, but once there the long arms of 6-9 Richard Solomon and 6-6 Allen Crabbe either changed or blocked a good majority of shots.

There were a number of spectacular slam dunks on both ends, but the one that will hit the tv highlight reels was any ally pass from Askia Booker to Soloman who tomahaked it home.

The Panthers took an early 11-6 lead following a steal, coast-to-coast and layup by Isiah Taylor, but then as they are prone to do, they hit a dry spell. That proved doom.

Price rattled off 13 straight over 5:15 and the Knights were in complete control, up 19-11.

Solomon was a beast with 13 first-half points and Crabbe had seven. The stat crew must have missed a half dozen blocks and credited Price with just two in the first half.

The Panthers stayed in by forcing nine turnovers but they were absolutely killed on the boards with Price holding a 25-9 edge. Glenn Baral has eight points and four others have three or four points. Price had 10 fouls but St. Mary's didn't take advantage making just half of 12 free throws.

THIRD QUARTER (Price 49, St. Mary's 34): When the Knights scored three quick buckets to start the third on a Solomon dunk, Casey Trujeque layup and Crabbe steal, coast-to-coast drive and layup, they looked in complete command, up 36-21.

St. Mary's closed within 11 a couple times on some spirited play from Justin Pollard, but a jumper by Jamie Trujeque as the shot clock expired and then a 3-pointer by Crabbe put Price back in charge, heading into the final quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER (Final - Price 69, St. Mary's 51): It's officially a slam fest as Crabbe and Solomon throw down two more flushes and the Panthers appear helpless.

Well maybe not, Solomon just fouled out with 3:59 left. He scored 22 points in about 18 minutes. Price leads 61-45.  

The Panthers never give up, continue to press and score six straight to close to 61-49, but Price makes six straight free throws, four by Crabbe to clinch it, 67-49 with 1:42 left.

Crabbe has a wide open dunk but passes to Skylar Spencer, who at 6-7 and long is befitting of his name. Spencer slammed it home, unofficially, Price's 10th dunk of the game.