SoCalHoops High School News

Ocean View Tournament Of Champions:
More On Mater Dei v. Compton--(Dec. 13, 1998)

We already reported the final result, but this morning we were able to get some additional details, like the scoring and what really happened.

Seems that Compton got a little too cocky too soon for their own good and managed to blow an 11-point third-quarter lead.  They also let Steve Scoggin and Mike Bayer get too hot, and that was that, and Mater Dei won by six. 

Bayer opened fourth-quarter scoring with a three-point play after an offensive rebound to cut the lead to 46-44. The teams exchanged baskets, with
Cedric Bozeman making a steal and going the distance for a layup.With about six minutes to play, Lanere Anderson (6'-1" Sr. SG) of Compton hit a short jumper to give Compton the lead at 50-46. But then Bayer scored off an offensive rebound, and on the next possession, Scoggin hit a layup and got fouled and sank the and-1, and Mater Dei led 51-50 with a little over five minutes to go. And it was the last time that Compton would lead again.  Mater Dei got another three-pointer from Derrick Mansell with 4:31 left. Bayer and Scoggin each scored 8 in the fourth quarter, and Scoggin had 14 overall for the game, including three three pointers, while Bayer finished with 20 points and 12 boards.    Bayer was named the Tournament MVP, and he played very well for someone who is so underrated by most recruiters. For Compton, Tito Maddox and Ellis Myles were also named to the All-Tournament team.   Tito finished with 15 points while Ellis had 14. 

Most people in attendance thought that moving the game to 1:30 pm. from the scheduled 9:00 p.m. start in order to accomodate the football championship game last night at Edison field, was a good thing. . . for the football players.  But for the guys playing basketball, it probably wasn't the best thing, for either team, and both teams came out a bit flat, having just played less than 18 hours before. --moved up six hours because of the Mater Dei-Long Beach Poly Southern Section Division I championship football game--left the Monarchs a bit listless in the first half. Their 70-58 semifinal victory over San Diego Horizon Friday night finished about 11 p.m., and their legs weren't into the defensive effort early in the final, which led to a 34-26 halftime deficit.  "I told the guys at halftime, look, they have 12 offensive boards, you have to step it up to another level and play defense," Mater Dei Coach Gary McKnight said. "That was a no-brainer. We didn't make a single adjustment. They just had to play harder."

"We got comfortable with the lead we had at halftime and we didn't play defense like we did in the first half," Compton Coach Rod Palmer told the Orange County Register and the Long Beach Press-Telegram.

Bayer, who had 18 points and 17 rebounds in the Horizon victory on Friday night, was playing out of position at center because of an ankle injury that has sidelined Westchester transfer Jamal Sampson (6'-10" So. C).  McKnight has said that Sampson might play in Las Vegas at the Reebok Holiday Classic which starts next Saturday,  December 19, 1998 at various locations.  We'll be covering that one, and will have the brackets up soon.

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