Stanley is manly once more for 33-0 Monarchs

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SANTA ANA, Ca. – Stanley Johnson had what will certainly be remembered as a very fine “farewell” performance in Mater High’s Meruelo Athletic Center Tuesday night.

Yeah – and then some!

The University of Arizona-bound Johnson continued to build upon what is becoming a peerless resume among all-time Orange County hoopsters, scoring 38 points – 28 of those in the fourth quarter and two four-minute overtime periods – while leading the Monarchs to a 67-64 victory over Etiwanda during a State Southern Regional semifinal played in front of nearly 3,000 spectators.

Ultimately, most of those in attendance were among as emotionally drained as were the players and coaches involved in what is likely to be considered the best high school game in Southern California during the 2013-14 season.

The victory improved the Monarchs to 33-0 and kept them on course for a fourth consecutive state title.

They can move a step closer Saturday night in Ontario when they take on 30-6 L.A. Westchester in the 8 o’clock Southern Regional Open Division final at the Citizens Business Bank Arena.

Jordan McLaughlin sank a shot just inside the 3-point arc to put the Eagles (27-5), up, 60-58, Johnson – who sank 13 of 17 attempts on the evening – dropped in two free throws with 2:37 to go to tie the score at 60 in the second OT.

A couple of possessions later, Johnson was fouled on another drive but hit just one of the free throws to go to put his team up, 61-60, with 1:27 to go.

McLaughlin, who scored 19 of his team-high 21 points after intermission, was fouled 10 seconds later but hit just one of his two free throws to deadlock the score.

With the shot clock about to expire, Johnson nailed a gut-crunching (for Etiwanda, that is) 3-pointer from the deep, deep right wing (say, 25-plus feet away) – nearly a replica of the shot, from distance and for circumstance, that he hit in the Southern Section title game victory over Chino Hills in the Honda Center on March 8.

McLaughlin was fouled with 24 seconds to play on a drive but missed the front end of the 1-and-1 opportunity.

Johnson, after was fouled – again – six seconds later but hit just the first of his two opportunities for a four-point lead.

The Monarchs weren’t out of the proverbial woods yet, folks.

McLaughlin – who faced the a diamond-and-one defense much of the evening (with junior La’Vette Parker shadowing him in face-guarding fashion with his teammates in a zone)  — hit a 3 with Rex Pflueger closing in on him hard on the left wing.

After a Etiwanda timeout with nine seconds to go, Kenny Barnes picked off Mater Dei’s inbound pass and attempted to get the ball to McLaughlin, about 35 feet away on the left side.

But Johnson wrested the ball away from him and was fouled with 4.2 seconds to go.

He swished both attempts for the three-point edge and, after a timeout by Mater Dei, an inbound pass to a cutting McLaughlin was off of his hands and out of bounds near mid court.

Johnson took the inbounds pass and the buzzer sounded and the game was over after 40 minutes of exhaustive – playing and watching – action.

A 3-point from McLaughlin gave the Eagles their biggest edge of the night – at 44-38 – with 5:56 to go in regulation.

But they had three consecutive “empty possessions” – two quickly forced shots and a turnover – and Mater Dei was able to ultimately go up a point (50-49) after a Pierre Aguirre free throw with 1:30 remaining.

McLaughlin failed on a drive in an attempt to put his team up with 1:02 to go.

Johnson turned the ball over while trying to split a double team with 35 seconds remaining.

McLaughlin had a chance to put his team up – and, as it turned out, give it the victory – after being fouled 16 later.

But he missed the first attempt at the free-throw line before dropping in the second to tie the score.

Johnson missed attempts at the end of regulation and overtime that would have ended things a lot earlier.

The biggest reason Etiwanda couldn’t pull off the win – well, other than their inability to slow down Johnson over the final 16 minutes – was Mater Dei’s dominance inside the lane.

The Monarchs out-rebounded the visitors, 45-34, as Johnson and 6-foot-9 sophomore Michael Cage Jr. grabbed 14 shots apiece.

In the other Open Division semifinal (played in Redondo Beach), Westchester got 30 points from senior wing Elijah Stewart and withheld a couple of frantic rallies to hold off the Redondo Union Seahawks, 76-67.

The Mater Dei and Westchester programs last played during the 2013 Nike Extravaganza at Mater Dei, with the Monarchs prevailing, 63-60.

Many of the players who were key elements in that game are still around, including Johnson (21 points and 16 rebounds for the Monarchs in the game) and Stewart and Nick Hamilton of Westchester.

In other Southern Regional semifinals Tuesday night, Chino Hills (67-57 over visiting Lakewood Mayfair) and Corona Centennial (81-77, in overtime, at L.A. Loyola) advanced to the Division I final Saturday at 4 o’clock, also in the Citizens Business Bank Arena.

The teams met in the semifinals of the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic in San Diego on Dec. 28, with Centennial prevailing, 77-75, on a short jumper by junior guard Sedrick Barefield at the buzzer.

Interestingly enough, Chino Hills is one of four teams beaten by Mater Dei this season that will be playing Saturday for berths in State Championship games next week in Sacramento.

*Bellflower St. John Bosco (beaten twice by the Monarchs in Trinity League action) takes on Compton in the Division II regional final at noon in the CBBA.

The teams met in a consolation game of the Open Division of the Southern Section playoffs, with St. John Bosco winning, 58-52, in Compton’s gym on Feb. 28.

*Santa Margarita (also beaten a couple of times by Mater Dei in league action) upset host L.A. Cathedral, 86-66, in overtime of a Division III semifinal Tuesday night.

The Eagles take on top seed West Hills Chaminade (which routed Brea Olinda, 77-49, Tuesday) at 8 o’clock Saturday night at Colony High, not far from the CBBA in Ontario.

*Montbello Cantwell-Sacred Heart (edged in overtime by Mater Dei in the opening round of Open Division play on Feb. 21) collected another significant upset of sorts Tuesday by knocking off host – and top seed – Chatsworth Sierra Canyon, 62-54, in a Division IV semifinal.

It will face No. 2 seed Torrance Bishop Montgomery in the regional final at Colony High at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Yet another team beaten by Gary McKnight’s squad this season – Oakland Bishop O’Dowd – plays Capital Christian of Sacramento Saturday in the Northern California Open Division title game.

The Dragons lost to the Monarchs (63-59, in OT) during the Dec. 21 title game of the Tarkanian Classic’s National Division at Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas.