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NORTHRIDGE — Mater Dei boys basketball coming to the San Fernando Valley is rare, although when it does make the trek, it’s usually to play Sierra Canyon or Harvard-Westlake, two teams the Monarchs faced in the past three years in the CIF Southern Section Open Division playoffs.
However, this year, the trek was to play a team of a different elk in Heritage Christian because the Monarchs aren’t in the Open Division this postseason – they’re in the Division 1 playoffs – which marks the first time since the Open Division was created in 2014 Mater Dei is not included.
The approach is different.
“The Open Division guarantees you four games, even if you lose, you can look forward to games,” Mater Dei coach Gary McKnight said. “This is a win-or-go-home situation. It’s been great to get this young team extra games.”
Mater Dei earned itself at least two more games with a 46-44 win over Heritage Christian in the quarterfinals Tuesday night thanks 15 points from freshman Brannon Martinsen, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with three minutes to play which ended up being the last field goal of the game to break a 43-43 tie.
The Monarchs will take on Mira Costa in the semifinals on Friday night, and earned themselves a berth to the CIF State playoffs.
“Our young guys played great, but Zack Davidson is the heart of this team, he was huge,” McKnight said. “Montana is getting a great player.”
Davidson, a 6-foot-8 senior center, scored just four points but tallied nine rebounds and held Heritage Christian star sophomore Tae Simmons to just six points. Junior Scotty Belnap added 12 points for Mater Dei (25-6).
Giovani Goree led Heritage Christian with 19 points. The Warriors were 9 of 19 from the free throw line. The Monarchs made eight 3s.
Heritage Christian’s final-second heave is off the mark. Mater Dei wins 46-44 to advance to the CIF-SS Division 1…
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