California: Mater Dei Girls Take Prep Classic
Ranked No. 1 nationally by MaxPreps, Mater Dei of Santa Ana roars past Bishop's and Mount
MaxPreps.com
Two of the CIF-San Diego Section’s top girls basketball teams challenged MaxPreps No. 1-ranked Santa Ana Mater Dei during the sixth annual Southern California Holiday Prep Classic (Dec. 26-30) at Lakeside’s El Capitan High School.
Neither Bishop’s (12-1) nor Spring Valley Mount Miguel (11-2) were any match for the Monarchs, who registered blowout victories en route to capturing the 52-team tournament’s WNBA Division championship with a four-game sweep.
Coach Kevin Kiernan’s Monarchs (13-0) trailed briefly, 21-19, in the second quarter against Mount Miguel but swiftly turned the game into a rout with scoring binges of 14-2 and 16-4 that led to a 71-47 outcome.
A night later, Mater Dei bowled over Bishop’s – the top-rated team in San Diego – 73-48. This game was never close after the opening period when the Monarchs led only 20-17. Once again, Mater Dei used a series of scoring streaks to clobber the No. 25-ranked and previously unbeaten Bishop’s.
“I think they are worthy of a No. 1 ranking,” said Bishop’s coach Marlon Wells, whose team posted better than a 30-point average margin of victory. “I wouldn't be surprised if they were No. 1 in the country by the end of the season.”
MaxPreps has Mater Dei rated as the nation’s best girls basketball team right now. Given the depth, speed, and size these Monarchs possess, they don’t figure to stumble on their way to the CIF-SDS Division II state championship.
Even more dynasty-like is this Mater Dei unit has 12 players who are underclassmen. Best of the lot is 6-foot sophomore guard Kaleena Lewis, who earlier this season scored a Mater Dei record 40 points in an 82-57 romp over Phoenix St. Mary’s during the Nike Tournament of Champions in Arizona.
Lewis, selected the division MVP, is the ace of this talent-laden bunch, averaging 22.5 points and seven rebounds per game. Her totals would surely be higher if Mater Dei did not blow out any team it faces. Twice against Bishop’s, the Monarchs held a 39-point lead in the final quarter – one point shy of starting a running clock.
“It’s going to take an awfully good team to beat them,” Wells said. “I don’t know if there is a team out there that can do it.”
Other SoCal Holiday Prep Classic division finals
Here is a glance at the other four division finals in this rapidly growing girls basketball tournament that included teams from as far away as Hampton, Ga., El Paso, Texas and Edmonton, Canada.
NCAA Division I: Poway (12-2) edged San Diego 56-53 in double overtime in a physical battle of CIFSDS Division I teams. Callie Rhoads scored the only Poway baskets in the second extra session and that proved to be the difference. Poway’s Katie Kuklok was MVP.
NCAA Division II: El Capitan senior guard Ashley Duffy, the division’s MVP, scored 16 of her game high 20 points in the second half as the Vaqueros (13-1) held off Grossmont Conference rival Granite Hills, 55-50.
NCAA Division III: Marie Catherine McKroskey’s three-pointer broke a 34-34 deadlock and lifted Our Lady of Peace to a 37-34 win over Red Mountain (Ariz.) 37-34 for the NCAA Division III championship. OLP’s Ashlee Guay earned the MVP honors.
NAIA Division: Steele Canyon’s Christina Williams, the division MVP, scored four points in the final 10 seconds to hand the Cougars a 54-50 title knockout of Grossmont. The Cougars are 9-0.
Prep Division: El Cajon Valley (9-4) edged Sherman Oaks Buckley 41-33 as the Braves’ Hazel Doe was selected MVP.
