McKnight not impressed with win

Mater Dei's MJ Cage slams the ball for the score early in the first period against St. Augustine in the first round of the CIF Southern California Regionals Friday.
Mater Dei's Stanley Johnson, right, lets out a yell after teammate MJ Cage slammed the ball for a basket against St. Augustine in the first round of the CIF Southern California Regionals Friday.
Mater Dei's Stanley Johnson makes a pass in traffic to an open M.J. Cage in the first period against St. Augustine in the first round of the CIF Southern California Regionals Friday.
Mater Dei's Stanley Johnson drives to the basket over St. Augustine's Otto Taylor for the score in the first round of the CIF Southern California Regionals Friday.
Mater Dei players cheer on their teammates after a basket near the end of the game against St. Augustine in the first round of the CIF Southern California Regionals Friday.
Mater Dei's Dwight Ramos, right, grabs a loose ball before St. Augustine's Johnny Peterson can get to it during the first round of the CIF Southern California Regionals Friday.
Mater Dei's Stanley Johnson slaps the ball away from St. Augustine's Martin Tombe in the first round of the CIF Southern California Regionals Friday.
Mater Dei's Isaiah Juarez grabs ball after St. Augustine's Dallas Haupt loses control during the first round of the CIF Southern California Regionals Friday.
Mater Dei's Stanley Johnson forces St. Augustine's Daniel Caya to loses control of the ball in the first round of the CIF Southern California Regionals Friday.
Mater Dei's Rex Pflueger goes up for the basket around St. Augustine's Eric Monroe in the first round of the CIF Southern California Regionals Friday.
Mater Dei's mascot cheers on the basketball team as they roll to a win over St. Augustine Friday in the first round of the CIF Southern California Regionals Friday.
A Mater Dei cheerleader entertains the crowd of fans during a break in the action Friday during the first round of the CIF Southern California Regionals Friday.

By Steve Fryer | sfryer@scng.com | Orange County Register

March 14, 2014 at 10:42 p.m.

SANTA ANA – Gary McKnight was not in the mood to celebrate a 27-point win.

Mater Dei beat St. Augustine of San Diego, 65-38, Friday in the CIF Southern California Regionals Open Division first round.

The Monarchs played well at times, erratically at others. They played uninspired for long stretches, stood around too much on offense and frequently displayed little sense of urgency on defense.

“We had good focus in the first quarter, no focus in the second quarter,” said McKnight, in his 32ⁿ^d season coaching Mater Dei. “The third quarter, we got a little better.”

Mater Dei, ranked No. 1 in California and in some national polls, is 32-0. The Monarchs, trying for a fourth straight state championship and an 11^t^h state title overall, plays host to Etiwanda in the Open Division semifinals Tuesday. That game will start at 7:30 p.m. and is the second half of a Regionals doubleheader that begins with the Mater Dei girls team in its Open Division semifinal at 6 p.m.

Monarchs senior Stanley Johnson scored a game-high 18 points. Sophomore center MJ Cage scored 14 with 13 rebounds. Junior guard Rex Pflueger scored 11 points with six assists.

St. Augustine senior Trey Kell, committed to San Diego State, scored a team-high 11 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter. St. Augustine (28-4) was runner-up in the CIF-San Diego Section Open Division.

Mater Dei had a 10-point lead at the end of the first quarter and a 12-point lead at halftime. St. Augustine got within eight points in the third quarter, but Mater Dei scored the final seven points of the period to take a 43-28 lead into the fourth.

Johnson converted a three-point play with 6:21 left to make it 48-28 and pretty much seal the victory.

The Monarchs had not played since their win Saturday over Chino Hills in the CIF-Southern Section Open Division championship game. McKnight said the time off showed.

“You take so much time off, and a team can come out flat,” McKnight.

Still, McKnight said, there was no excuse for the Monarchs’ inconsistent play and the lack of cohesion on offense.

“It shouldn’t take a halftime of explaining to them after, what, four months of play until they’re able to move the ball, cut and move?” McKnight said. “That’s what frustrates me.”

Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com