mater304

SoCal High School & Prep Report

Southern Section Playoffs: Division I-A
Pacific Defeats Mater Dei 69-68--(March 4, 1998)

Well, it looks like Gary McKnight was correct when he said at the beginning of the season that this was one of the most "beatable" Mater Dei teams in history. San Bernardino Pacific proved that, but just barely, beating Mater Dei 70-69, and Mater Dei's streak of consecutive CIF Southern Section boys basketball championships was halted at six. . And it took a last-second shot by Pacific center Demond Huff to do it, denying Mater Dei a trip to the Division I-A final. Pacific, 22-8, goes on to the championship game against the Riverside North-Glendora winner Saturday at the Pond. The Pirates were playing in their third consecutive semifinal. But they have never advanced to the final before now.

Mater Dei had led 69-68 on Steve Henderson's free throw with 23 seconds left. He missed his second attempt, which Huff rebounded. The Pirates called timeout to set up a final shot. After both teams took a timeout, guard Chris Smith worked the ball upcourt. Smith dribbled until the clock showed less than 10 seconds, drove the lane and forced up a shot that missed. Huff--who scored 15 points and had a game-high nine rebounds despite four fouls--grabbed the ball, spun toward the basket and laid in the game winner as time ran out.

The loss, which ended Mater Dei's season at 21-8, was harder on Coach Gary McKnight than he expected it to be. Pacific guard Bobby Tossetti made five three-pointers (in 10 attempts) and scored 17 points. The Mater Dei defense took out Pacific's Chaun Ballard, who scored only eight points. The Monarchs shot well enough (51%) to take a 31-26 halftime lead and survive a 19-7 Pirate run in the third quarter that enabled Pacific to lead after three quarters, 52-48. But along with the turnovers, the Monarchs were blindsided by Huff. Also causing problems was reserve guard Bobby Tossetti, who made five three-pointers (in 10 attempts) and scored 17 points. Mater Dei forward Mike Bayer led all scorers with 21.

Few expected Mater Dei (21-8), with no seniors starting nor seeing much playing time at all, to advance as far as Tuesday's game. Even Monarchs coach Gary McKnight was somewhat surprised, but that didn't reduce his disappointment with the loss. Mater Dei led for all of the first half and most of the third quarter until the Pirates went ahead in the final minute of the third and took a 52-48 lead into the final quarter. Pacific built an eight-point lead, but the Monarchs gradually crept up and tied it with 50 seconds left on Steve Henderson's steal and layup. Pirates point guard Chris Smith was called for traveling, and he fouled Henderson with 23 seconds left. Henderson made the first free throw to put Mater Dei ahead, 69-68.