It’s tough being the ‘other’ team, but they manage

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When you share the same gym with a national powerhouse it’s easy to be overlooked. At Mater Dei, most of the attention this basketball season has focused on the Division II state champion boys’ squad -- and deservedly so. After all, it is undefeated, ranked third in the state and ranked 13th in the nation by maxpreps.com.

However, that ‘other’ team on campus is also pretty good and if the girls’ squad continues its high level of play the Santa Ana school might be celebrating two Southern Section championships at season’s end.

Under new Coach Kevin Kiernan, the girls have won 13 of 14 games this season, and that should come as no surprise to hoops followers in Orange County. Kiernan previously coached at Troy, where he led the Warriors to six section titles, three state titles and 11 consecutive league titles.

Paced by Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis’ 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists and fellow freshman Alexyz Vaioletama’s 10 points and nine rebounds, the Monarchs routed Sacramento Kennedy, 66-43, in a Diamond Division semifinal of the West Coast Jamboree on Saturday in Antioch. Mater Dei plays Fremont Washington, a 44-42 winner over Harvard-Westlake, in Monday’s championship game.

-- Steve Galluzzo, guest blogger

- Image from www.topendsports.com/clipart/pics/basketball