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SANTA ANA –  On the surface, the game was a “mano y mano” showdown between two of the best Class of 2026 guards anywhere in high school hoops.

The Luke Barnett-led Mater Dei Monarchs edged Santa Margarita Wednesday night, 62-59.

And Barnett’s 30 points – 28 of those after intermission – were a reason why Mater Dei (No. 18 in the BurlisonOnBasketball SoCal Top 30) moved in front of No. 8 Santa Margarita and into a tie for first with St. John Bosco in the Trinity League.

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LAGUNA NIGUEL – We’re down to two and a half weeks of regular-season action remaining for boys CIF Southern Section basketball teams . . . and three and a half for the L.A. City Section.

There remain a multitude of games to be played that will impact the shape of the CIF SS playoff divisions (that will be released on Feb. 9).

Relative to the Open Division, those are all being played in the Mission and Trinity Leagues this week, notably:

*New No. 1 Harvard-Westlake (following Roosevelt’s loss in the HoopHall Classic in Springfield, MA, Monday) is at No.

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SPRINGFIELD, MA – Two significant high school win streaks were snapped on Monday’s final day of the HoopHall Hall of Fame Classic.

The Eastvale (CA) Roosevelt Mustangs came into their Springfield College Blake Arena game with Washington, DC, Gonzaga College Prep at No. 1 in the country (via MaxPreps) via a 22-1 record – 19 of those since picking up that loss.

But Coach Steve Turner’s Eagles – who came into town with a 16-2 record and a No. 4 national rating – used their superior size and strength to (figuratively, of course!)

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SPRINGFIELD, MA – After nearly four days and 27 boys and girls games in Springfield College’s Blake Arena, the HoopHall Classic finally got itself something bordering on an instant classic Sunday night.

The Napa (CA) Prolific Prep and Warrenton (VA) Highland boys’ team took the floor just short of 9 p.m. and the near-capacity crowd – who had just watched the consensus No. 1 player in the country, A.J. Dybansta of Utah Prep – stuck around until the final buzzer sounded.

And not just because the folks wanted to delay going outside and clearing a lot of snow off their cars, either .

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SPRINGFIELD, MA – Tounde Yessoufou-led St. Joseph High keeps grinding out wins while he continues to power his way closer to becoming the all-time career leader among California boys basketball players.

But, from the perspective of the 6-foot-5, senior and native of the African country of Benin, the most important path the Knights are on is the one that they hope leads them to Sacramento, and into the Golden 1 Center, on March 15.

On that night, the state’s best boys hoops teams – one representing the North and the other the South –  will duke it out in the Open Division finale.

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