Mater Dei Wins League Again

The difference between the Santa Ana Mater Dei and Santa Margarita boys’ basketball teams was more than 6 feet 8 inches Thursday.

Santa Margarita’s best player, 6-8 junior forward James Keefe, was hampered by foul trouble against Mater Dei, but his full presence likely wouldn’t have slowed the Monarchs in their 71-40 victory at Concordia University.

The victory gave Mater Dei (23-3, 5-1), ranked seventh in the Southland by The Times, its 22nd league title in 23 seasons under Coach Gary McKnight and avenged a 54-46 loss to the No. 11 Eagles (21-4, 4-2).

Taylor King, a 6-7 sophomore forward for Mater Dei, took advantage of Keefe’s absence for much of the second half and scored 22 points. Kyle Brown, a 6-4 senior guard who came into the game averaging 8.5 points, scored 20.

Dan Arritt

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Kelvin Kim scored nine of Lake Forest El Toro’s final 15 points in a 51-50 victory over visiting Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley that clinched a share of the South Coast League boys’ basketball title. It’s the third consecutive season the two teams have shared the title.

No. 18 El Toro (21-5, 8-2) and No. 17 Capistrano Valley (22-4, 8-2) went triple overtime the last time they played.

The Cougars had a chance to win but Keith Wilkinson’s last-second three-pointer careened off the rim.

Darryl Best added 14 for El Toro, while Capistrano Valley was led by 6-7 freshman center Jaime Serna’s 19 points and Wilkinson’s 16.

Martin Henderson

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Wrestling

Rosemead, formerly ranked No. 3 in the Southern Section Division I coaches’ poll, had to forfeit all of its dual-meet victories this season for using an ineligible wrestler and will not participate in the section dual-meet championships Saturday.

The unnamed wrestler falsified his residence on official school documents, according to Rosemead Principal Diane Bladen, because he lived in the attendance area of another El Monte Unified School District school.