SANTA ANA, Ca. – The host Mater Dei High Monarchs never was able to delivered a figurative knockout punch against its opponent from Rolling Hills Prep Friday night.
But Coach Gary McKnight’s club was able to play just well enough at both ends of the floor to edge the Huskies, 57-51, in the final game of the first day of the 24th Nike Extravaganza in the Meruelo Center.
The Monarchs (No. 10 in the most recent BurlisonOnBasketball Top 25) got 18 points from sophomore guard Devin Askew and 10 apiece from his classmates, posts Wilhelm Breidenbach (who grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds) and Nick Davidson, to improve to 23-3 with another Nike X game on tap vs. No. 17 Studio City Harvard-Westlake Saturday night at 7:30.
Coach Harvey Kitani’s team fell to 18-6 despite the 22-point performance (with six rebounds and two steals) from 6-foot-3 junior Vaughn Flowers.
Flowers missed three free throws down the stretch and a 3-point attempt from Chris Koon – with Rolling Hills Prep trailing by four points – rimmed in and out in the final minute.
In one of the other three boys’ games played Friday involving Trinity League (of which Mater Dei is a member) teams, No. 12 Santa Margarita was smoked by national power Oak Hill Academy of Virginia, 94-67.
McDonald’s All-American guard Cole Anthony (who had missed the past couple of games for Coach Steve Smith’s team with a reported ankle sprain) was credited with 21 points to go with eight rebounds and 10 assists to just one turnover in 28-plus minutes on the floor.
Anthony is expected to commit to the University of Oregon (Ducks’ head coach Dana Altman was court-side Friday) or the University of North Carolina in the spring for what no doubt will only be a freshman season before he enters the pool of players eligible for the 2020 NBA Draft.
University of Illinois-bound center Kofi Cockburn overwhelmed the 18-9 Eagles with 15 points and 12 rebounds in 23 minutes.
Six-three Cameron Thomas, one of the more prolific scorers who are part of the 2020 national class, led the Eagles with 30 points, including four 3s in nine shots from the floor.
Santa Margarita’s two-best players, Pacific 12 Conference-bound Max Agbonkpolo (USC) and Jake Kyman (UCLA) missed 21 of 31 shots from the floor while combining for 28 points.
Senior guard Kendall McHugh led the 18-9 Eagles (who knocked off Las Vegas Bishop Gorman Friday night) with 25 points.
In the other three games played Friday:
(girls) Mater Dei 63, Bishop Gorman 35: Alyssa Frescas (22), Brooke Demetre (19) and Cailyn Crocker (13) combined for all but nine of the Monarchs’ points in the victory for the Monarchs.
Crocker (who signed with the University of California-Berkeley in November) added seven assists, six rebounds and three steals.
Orange Lutheran 78, Goleta Dos Pueblos 41: Center Makur Maker scored 25 points and grabbed seven rebounds, as the Lancers stepped outside of Trinity League to improve to 20-6 overall.
They take on El Cajon Foothills Christian in another Nike Extravaganza game Saturday
Northridge Heritage Christian 65, Anaheim Servite 50: Underclassmen Dillon Depina (22), Skyy Clark (15) and Justin Rochelin (13) combined for 50 points as the Warriors improved to 21-5.
Rochelin, a sophomore whose dad played at UCLA, grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.
Freshman forward Tajavis Miller led the Friars (15-12) with 17 points and three assists.
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