Mamadou Ndiaye too tall and just too good Friday

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SANTA ANA, Ca. – The biggest player in the Meruelo Athletic Center also proved to be the most productive Friday.

By the way, “and then some” could rightfully be attached to each part of that statement.

Center Mamadou Ndiaye, all 7-foot-5ish and 290 pounds or so of him, scored 34 points and grabbed 26 points to lead his Huntington Beach Brethren Christian team to a 50-34 victory over Anaheim Servite during one of the three boys’ game held during the opening action of the 18^th Nike Extravaganza, host by Mater Dei High.

In the other boy’s tilts, San Juan Capistrano Saddleback Christian knocked off Rancho Santa Margarita’s Santa Margarita Christian, 73-65, while the host Monarchs overcame a sluggish start to pull away from Rialto Eisenhower, 78-63.

There isn’t anyone on the high school scene – and very few on the college or NBA landscape, come to think of it – who even reasonably “matches up” with Ndiaye in stature.

But the Friars have been a bit of a surprise this season, bringing a 15-9 overall mark and 3-5 record in the ultra-tough Trinity League into the game.

However, even their usually solid half-court defense and quality offensive execution wasn’t enough to alter the impact that Ndiaye (who came to the U.S. from Senegal several years ago and signed with UC Irvine in November) had at both ends of the floor.

Ndiaye blocked three shots but “altered” (and then some) a whole lot of others as the Friars were limited to 12 of 58 shooting from the field — .207 percent.

At the other end of the floor Ndiaye, despite often being swarmed by three defenders, hit 14 of 19 shots from the floor – many of those coming despite his feet barely leaving the floor.

He would have made a serious run at 50-points if he would have cashed in more often at the free-throw line (where he missed 14 of 20 attempts) or if the Warriors (19-3) wouldn’t have turned the ball over 24 times.

Louis Juego, a 5-8 junior, led the Friars with 20 points but missed 13 of his 20 shots from the floor.

In the first boys’ game (there were three girls’ games played), ever Saddleback Christian scored in double figures during an upset, of sorts, of Santa Margarita (like Servite and Mater Dei, members of the Trinity League).

Six-seven freshman Ershad Hunt led the victors (20-5) with 14 points and eight rebounds while blocking five attempts, while junior guard Miles Steward led the way with a game-high 23 points, eight rebounds and three assists.

Junior center Joe Furstinger, despite missing about 6 ½ minutes because of foul issues, paced the Eagles with 21 points, 14 rebounds, three steals and a blocked shot while classmate Devonte Klines, a point guard, had 13 points and five assists (but five of his club’s 20 turnovers).

With a critical Trinity League victory over Bellflower St. John Bosco Wednesday night and another Nike Extravaganza contest coming Saturday night against L.A. City power Westchester, Mater Dei Coach Gary McKnight started five reserves Friday night.

The Monarchs (23-1) trailed by as many as five points before he eased his starters onto the floor in the later part of the first period.

And then they were just sharp enough to move to a 10-point advantage at intermission and withstand the deep shooting (14 of 29 behind the arc) of the Eagles to finally pull away down the stretch.

Senior wing Elijah Brown, who committed to Butler a few weeks ago, led the Monarchs with 18 points while freshman center Michael Cage Jr. came off the bench to play 21 minutes and add 17 points, a team-high nine rebounds and account for all three of the shots that the Monarchs blocked.

Junior wing Stanley Johnson, who suffered from the flu (apparently) leading into the game with SJB Wednesday night, was short of his usual self Friday night but still checked with 15 points, three rebounds, two steals and two assists.