SoCalHoops High School News

Nike Dream Classic: Dominguez
Downs Mater Dei, 64-58--(Jan. 18, 1999)

Dominguez came out smoking in this one and the most amazing stat wass the first 7 points were by dominguez and they also had the first three team fouls, all charges. Tyson was assisting, looping passes in to Keith Brooks and with 2:33 gone in the first quarter, Tyson already had 4 blocked shots. At the end of the first quarter the score was 14-7 Dominguez and there was some question about just how good this matchup really would be.

In the third quarter, Darius Sanders, Keilon, Ronald Johnson and Tyson took over, and with about 1:02 gone in the second quarter, the score was 18-7 and Gary McKnight called his second time out of the half. And they also had a ringer, Larry Johnson, the junior transfer from Irvine who was just cleared by the CIF before this game to play. There had been some question about his transfer, but like Moore, the CIF eventually approved it. Derrick Mansell was hitting for three, but every time Mater Dei would score, Kincade, or Keilon would come right back. One of the best matchups was the freshman matchup of Darius Sanders and Mikey Strawberry, and even though neither of them was doing much on offense, they were fun to watch banging around down on the blocks.

At 3:09 to play in the first half, the score was 25-12. Mater Dei couldn't buy a basket. Mike Bayer managed to make one of two from the line, but that was almost all the offense that Mater Dei could muster as Dominguez just continued to hammer the points home. At the half, the score was 31-17 and it was looking like a pretty bad mismatch. Fun to watch, but a mismatch. At least for now. Never count out Mater Dei.

Well in the second half, something Gary McKnight said in the locker room, must have lit a fire under the Monarchs. That or the fact that Tyson got into foul trouble, Jamaal Sampson came in and started rebounding and providing a presence inside, and with 3:43 to play in the third, Steve Scoggin started dropping threes, and Mater Dei had cut it to 6, 36-30. Amazing comeback, but short-lived as Mater Dei let Dominguez and Marcus Moore, who was playing as well as we've ever seen him play, break out to an 11-2 run in just under 4 minutes, to bring the score to 47-32 Dominguez. After exchanging possessions a couple of times, Mater Dei managed to chip into the lead a bit with a sweet Christian McGuigan basket, but at the end of the third, Dominguez still led 49-39.

In the fourth, Larry Johnson exhibited what he does best, passing and driving and he had a couple of beautiful quick no lookers. After a brief controversial period wehre the clock was reset and the score as well, with about minutes, the offcials decided that the score would read 54-48, and Mater Dei, if they were going to lose, weren't going down without a fight. At 4:20 Mansell went to the line, hit two and turned it into a two possession game, 54-50.

Marcus moore came down, twisted and turned, and exhibited unbelievable ball-control with the nice reverse layup, to bring Dominguez back into the lead by 6, but Mater Dei managed to keep it close, and just like Vegas, with a little more than a minute on the clock Mater Dei's Scoggin hit a crucial three, then Bozeman came back and tied the score at 58 all with 1:09. Talk about coming back from the dead. Wow.

Marcus "The Magician" Moore got fouled, hit both free throws to bring the game to 60-58, then Keith Kincade hits both coming down the floor off two consecutive misses on long threes (why?) and with 19 seconds remaining, Mater Dei trails 62-58. Jafus Haley gets the call to bring the ball in, and when he can't get it in, calls a timeout. One problem: Dominguez had no timeouts left. So Mater Dei sends Steve Scoggin to the line, a 90% shooter, and what happens? He misses them both, and they squander the possession, turning the ball over on a Tyson Chandler huge block (his 8th in the game), and Ronald Jackson lays it in for the final basket of the game. Final score 64-58, and Dominguez has managed to avenge the Vegas loss.

Here are the scoring totals: For Dominguez, Tyson Chandler had 12 points, on 4 for 5 shooting from the field, and 4 for 4 from the line, with 8 blocked shots. Ronald Jackson had 9, Keith Brooks 11, Marcus Moore 14, Steve Moore 3, Larry Johnson 2, Keith Kincade 9, and Darius Sanders 4. Mater Dei's scorers were Sufi with 4, Derrick Mansell with 14 on 5 for 10 shooting from the field and 2 for 5 from three, 2 for 2 from the line; Cedric Bozeman had 14, including 2 assists, Steve Scoggin had 11, but only shot 2 for 7 from three point range, and 1 for 4 from the line; Mike Strawberry had 2 points, and Mike Bayer had 13, and 6 rebounds.

Not bad. We can't wait for the next matchup between these two teams. Unfortunately, it will have to wait until next year, because they're in different divisions. Oh, well. Big time fun for now.