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MISSION VIEJO – The Mater Dei boys basketball team was playing its fourth consecutive game at 8 p.m. in the Diablo Invitational.

Fatigue was not apparent as the top-ranked Monarchs beat Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, 87-59, Friday in the semifinals at Mission Viejo High.

The Monarchs tallied 19 assists, and 9 of their 10 baskets in the first quarter were assisted. Forward Harrison Butler had a game-high seven assists for Mater Dei.

“We try to emphasize sharing the ball,” Mater Dei coach Gary McKnight said. “When you got a lot of kids who are Division 1 players and you can get them to share the ball, good things happen.”

Spencer Freedman led the scoring for the Monarchs with 24 points, 16 of which came in the first quarter. The junior and team captain made six 3-pointers.

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“When he gets on fire, they try to guard him and it opens things up for everyone else and he’s very unselfish,” McKnight said. “He can make those shots all day. It’s like making a layup for him.”

Mater Dei plays St. Augustine of San Diego in the tournament final Saturday at 4 p.m. at Missino Viejo High.

The Mater Dei offense was explosive in the first quarter. The Monarchs scored 28 points and made six three-pointers in the opening frame, jumping to a 28-19 lead.

The Monarchs (5-0) outscored the Knights by 14 in the second quarter. Justice Sueing scored seven points for Mater Dei during a 16-2 run in the quarter. Sueing had 23 points and grabbed four rebounds.

Mater Dei continued its efficient scoring after halftime. The Monarchs scored 24 points in the third quarter, eight of which came from Miles Brookins.

Notre Dame (2-2) struggled to keep up with the Monarchs defensively but demonstrated their ability to score. The Knights made 10 3-pointers. Julian Rishwain and Ziaire Williams led the scoring for the Knights with 16 and 15 points, respectively.