SANTA ANA — One by one, members of the Mater Dei boys basketball team solemnly filed out of their locker room after a near-defeat.
Not one player spoke a word, and the looks on the faces of the Monarchs players bordered on confusion, probably because this team had yet to face the adversity that Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Montebello dished out to them.
Mater Dei, the No. 1 overall seed in the CIF-SS Open Division playoffs, narrowly escaped what could’ve been an all-time upset by No. 16 Cantwell, defeating the Cardinals in overtime, 66-59, in a first-round game Friday night at Mater Dei High.
The Monarchs kept their undefeated record intact – it now stands at 28-0 – and will be on the road against Mayfair of Lakewood in a second-round game Friday.
After scolding his players to get into the locker room, Mater Dei coach Gary McKnight spoke harshly about the Monarchs’ performance.
“We didn’t share the ball and we were very selfish,” McKnight said. “We didn’t play aggressively on defense, we didn’t talk (defensively), and we didn’t do what we worked on all week long.”
The lack of execution combined with the determination of the upstart Cantwell team put Mater Dei on the ropes with 37 seconds to play. The Monarchs’ lead was cut to 50-49 after Cantwell’s Joey Covarrubias made one of two free throws.
Mater Dei’s MJ Cage was fouled on the ensuing possession and made 1 of 2 free throws, putting the Monarchs up, 51-49, with 27 seconds to play.
The Cardinals (20-7) tied the score at 51 on their next possession, and Stanley Johnson missed a potential winning layup as time expired, sending the game into overtime.
Mater Dei and Cantwell remained tight early in overtime, with the Monarchs leading 55-53 with 2:28 to play.
Mater Dei was able pull away late and close out the win from the free throw line, with Johnson polishing off the seven-point victory with two from the charity stripe with 14 seconds left.
McKnight said that Mater Dei was able to get the win by making more plays down the stretch and praised Cantwell for its effort.
“I think we made some plays down the road,” McKnight said. “(Cantwell) is a very well-coached team; they play hard.”
Johnson said that the Monarchs harkened back to fundamentals to escape defeat.
“We made free throws and got (defensive) stops and rebounds,” Johnson said. “It was a possession game and we won possessions. We won the battle in overtime.”
McKnight didn’t mince words when asked what Friday’s matchup against Mayfair might bring.
“If we continue to play like that, we’ll be done next Friday,” McKnight said. “It’s embarrassing … I’m very discouraged right now.”
Isaiah Juarez scored a season-high 17 points for the Monarchs, tying Johnson for team-high honors. Cage added 15, while LaVette Parker finished with 10.
“If we continue to play like that, we’ll be done next Friday,” McKnight said. “It’s embarrassing … I’m very discouraged right now.”
Contact the writer: dugland@ocregister.com
