ROADBLOCK: Mater Dei's Gary Franklin looks to pass after finding his path to the basket blocked by Santa Margarita's Klay Thompson during Friday's game. ROSE PALMISANO, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER Mater Dei-Santa Margarita videoTo see a video of Friday night's game between Mater Dei and Santa Margarita, click on this link |
Mater Dei loses star but beats Santa Margarita
David Wear makes sure Monarchs win, 74-61, in his brother's absence.
SANTA ANA Two Wears can be too much. Friday night, one was enough.
With his twin brother Travis out because of an injury, David Wear led Mater Dei to a 74-61 victory over Santa Margarita in a Trinity League game at Mater Dei. It was a battle of the top two ranked boys basketball teams in Orange County.
David Wear made his first four shots, had 15 points at halftime and finished with 21. Sophomore teammate Gary Franklin also scored 21 with six assists, and junior Andy Brown added 16 points.
Travis Wear, like David a 6-foot-10 junior, suffered a slight tear of a muscle near his right shin Wednesday during the Monarchs' victory over JSerra.
Travis, who with David committed to North Carolina last week, said the injury does not require surgery. He expects to be able to play after four weeks of rest and physical therapy.
Mater Dei, ranked No. 1 in Orange County, beat No. 2 Santa Margarita for the sixth time in a row. The Monarchs improved to 18-0 overall and 3-0 in league. Santa Margarita is 17-2 and 2-1.
The Eagles' loss was worsened by an injury to senior guard Zack Zaragoza. In the fourth quarter, Zaragoza went up with Wear on a lob pass to Wear. They banged heads, with Zaragoza suffering cuts above and below his left eye.
Zaragoza left the game and did not return. After the game, he became dizzy and experienced difficulty breathing. He was taken by ambulance to St. Joseph Hospital in Orange.
Mater Dei junior Jamaal Trice was assigned to guard Santa Margarita standout senior Klay Thompson. Trice held Thompson to 15 points on 7-of-18 shooting. Thompson, a Washington State signee who is a son of Lakers broadcaster and former NBA player Mychal Thompson, also committed 9 turnovers.
“I just forced him to go right,” Trice said, “because he likes to go left. Once I did that, I could straight-up defend him.”
Wear's 9-of-14 shooting performance included a pair of left-handed jump hooks (he's right-handed) and a variety of jumpers, including two bank shots, from various spots 15 feet and closer.
Jaime Serna was the most effective player for the Eagles. Serna, a 6-8 senior who signed with UC Santa Barbara, was 9 of 11 for 20 points. He was 4 of 4 in the second quarter.
Mater Dei had a one-point lead after the first quarter and led 35-32 at halftime. In the final seconds of the first half, Thompson weaved through three Monarchs to score on a buzzer-beating drive.
Two 3-pointers by Franklin and back-to-back jumpers by senior Blake Arnet in the third quarter guided the Monarchs to an 11-point lead going into the fourth. In that quarter, Andy Brown was 4 of 4, including three 3-pointers, to keep Mater Dei in control.
“Andy's 3s,” Mater Dei coach Gary McKnight said, “and those two shots in a row by Blake were big.”
Trice said he and his teammates challenged themselves to make sure Travis Wear's absence would not be a factor.
“We all stepped up,” he said. “The starting five, the bench, everybody.”
The next Mater Dei-Santa Margarita game is Jan. 30 at Santa Margarita.
Mater Dei's next game is at St. John Bosco of Bellflower on Wednesday, the first of three consecutive league road games for the Monarchs. The Eagles, whose other loss this season was to Campbell Hall of North Hollywood last month in the Tournament of Champions at Ocean View, plays host to Orange Lutheran in a league game Wednesday.
Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com
| MD was 13 points better even after sleep walking through the first quarter. SM is good, and definitely second in the county, but MD plays at a national level that few local schools can aspire to. I'm sick of SM's constant excuses. |
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| Demoman - Jan 18, 2008 07:44:46 AM | Remove Comment |
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| MD beat you guys without on Wear. And it was a resounding defeat might I add. Did the refs help Franklin rain those 3 pointers? I think not. |
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| Reality - Jan 14, 2008 03:05:21 PM | Remove Comment |
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| Man you guys at SM are SAD Face it MD was better without their best player YOU GOT BEAT Get over it the fouls were called almost neck in neck look at the box score again. All I hear is boo hoo the refs are bad BS just man up and take the loss. |
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| Robert - Jan 14, 2008 02:28:20 PM | Remove Comment |
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| I doubt they were paid, but the officials were pretty terrible. Anyone who watched the game would know that. Mater Dei is not 13 points better than Santa Margarita, and SM will prove that when they beat MD at home. |
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| Danny - Jan 12, 2008 10:49:11 PM | Remove Comment |
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| Santa Margarita is a great team and it did seem like the refs were making a ton of bad calls on Santa Margarita. who knows. Mater Dei is an extremely dominant team. Good luck to both teams. |
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| Joe - Jan 12, 2008 02:35:22 PM | Remove Comment |
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| face it Gary you lost, get over it it is what it is MD is the better team,face the facts don't tag it on the refs. |
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| Gil - Jan 12, 2008 12:09:51 PM | Remove Comment |
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| Refs don't get payed off in high school games. You should be ashamed of yourself for suggesting it. They get payed $59 a game and work hard to get it. Now, in the NBA? |
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| lorraine - Jan 12, 2008 09:54:29 AM | Remove Comment |
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| Refs getting payed off? Nonsense. Sour grapes. |
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| Bob - Jan 12, 2008 09:32:52 AM | Remove Comment |
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| they always seem to forget to talk about the refs that get payed off at each mater dei home game its bull somebody needs to fix this first demetrius walker gets 4 fouls then klay thompson this is not fair |
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| gary - Jan 11, 2008 11:45:08 PM | Remove Comment |
