Game time
Gordon waits in the tunnel before leading his teammates onto the court for warm-ups.
Photo by Todd Shurtleff
All the preparation appeared to work, as Mitty took a quick 6-0 lead on a Gordon tip-in and turnaround jumper, followed by a jumper from Messer.
But Johnson took over, drilling two long-range 3-pointers with Gordon in his face, and finished the quarter with a dunk as Mater Dei, also the Monarchs, took a 13-10 lead.
It was more of Gordon and Johnson going man-against-man in the second quarter. Another 3-pointer by Johnson, a layup over Gordon and a fastbreak hoop gave him 17 by the half. Gordon had nine in the quarter, finished off with a 3-pointer to give him 13 for the half, but Mitty trailed 24-22.
Mitty took its last lead, 29-27, early in the third following a Gordon hoop and Farrell inside basket. But Gordon, without a foul in the first half, picked up three quickly and Mater Dei — Johnson especially — took advantage.
He drilled back-to-back 3-pointers under duress — two of the five he made for the game — and the Southern California champs were never to be caught.
Gordon tried desperately to bring his team back, perhaps too desperately. He committed nine of the team's 22 turnovers. Mater Dei committed nine as a team.
Despite a big edge in rebounds, 47-31, and limiting Mater Dei to 25 percent shooting, Mitty lost to the Santa Ana power for a third-straight time in the state finals, 50-45.
Gordon leaps to win a jump ball against Mater Dei.
Photo by Todd Shurtleff
Gordon had another big-number game with 22 points and 20 rebounds. But Johnson had 26. Afterward, Gordon, with a long, angry face, met with the media. He could barely speak.
"I hate it," he said. "I can't stand it. I'm leaving high school on a loss. They're the only Open school in the state to go out on a win and I hate that feeling with all my heart."
The key to the game? Gordon hit it right on the head.
"I've never seen Stanley shoot like that," he said. "Ever. Obviously he's been working on it a lot. He made his first shot and didn't look back from there. All the credit to Stanley.
"Turnovers. We turned the ball over way too much. We were soft with the ball."
What did he say to the team in the locker room?
"Nothing," he said. "Nothing to be said."
Kennedy gave kudos to Johnson and Mater Dei's defense for the win.
"If you would have told me we limited them to 50 points and outrebounded them like that, I would have liked our odds very much," he said. "I didn't do a good job getting us in spots where we could get some open looks and knock them down. Got to credit Mater Dei's defense for how they got after us."
Like Kennedy, Gordon blamed himself largely for the defeat. That's what competitors do.
Kennedy would hear nothing of it.
"He has nothing to be ashamed of," Kennedy said. "He left it all on the court and I'm just proud of all that he's done. Anyone who watched knows he didn't let the team down."
Johnson and McKnight knew it.
"That was one of the best (individual) matchups we've ever seen in California," McKnight said. "Those are two special players."
Said Johnson: "Nothing he (Gordon) does surprises me. He's just going to make plays. I think he's the best player in the country."
Gordon battles Mater Dei's Stanley Johnson for control of a loose ball during the state title game.
Photo by Dennis Lee
