STATE HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS : BOYS’ DIVISION I : Mater Dei Keeps Title in South

After dominating the boys’ State Division I final for three quarters, Santa Ana Mater Dei had to make several free throws in the final seconds to hold off San Francisco Riordan, 62-60, Saturday night before 14,629 at the Oakland Coliseum Arena.

Southern California teams have won all nine Division I titles since the state-wide playoff format began in 1982.

Mater Dei (34-1) played nearly perfect basketball for the first 24 minutes, building a 46-36 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Riordan, behind the three-point shooting of guards Dorion Manigo and Jaime Edwards, made things close at the end. The Monarchs needed all of Andy Karich’s seven fourth-quarter free throws.

“We were looking more at the clock in anticipation for the game to end and that cost us,” Mater Dei guard Jason Quinn said. “We were just trying to get the game over after opening up that big lead.”

Mater Dei seemed unstoppable in the first half, with Karich scoring seven first quarter points and Dan O’Neil coming off the bench to score 10 in the second.

The Monarchs’ defense made 6-foot-4 Dwayne Fontana, Riordan’s leading scorer, a non-factor.

With 6-8 Derek Stone, 6-7 Charlie Andres, 6-6 Karich and 6-5 David Boyle clogging the middle, Fontana scored three points in the first half and made three of 13 shots in the game.

“They played really good defense in preventing us from getting into our offense,” Fontana said. “Their size underneath made it tough on our inside passing game.”

In the third quarter, Riordan gave a preview of its fourth quarter rally with two brief scoring bursts. Mater Dei was able to keep control of the game with individual efforts from Boyle and O’Neil.

The Crusaders made it close on a three-pointer at the final buzzer by Manigo, who had 25 points and eight rebounds.

“You have to give them credit because they did a great job shooting in the second half,” said O’Neill, who scored 25 points. “But, we have a team where everyone has their nights. Tonight, just happened to be my night.”

In the end, it was just another close finish for a Northern California champion. In five of the last six Southern California wins, its teams have won by seven points or fewer.