IRVINE – After back-to-back, one-point losses last week, Mater Dei’s boys basketball team needed the type of win it got on Monday.
The Monarchs rolled to a 92-65 win over Orange Lutheran at Irvine Valley College in the first game of the three-day Trinity League tournament.
Three Mater Dei players each scored more than 20 points. Junior guard Richie Ramirez scored 28 points, senior guard Luke Barnett scored 24 and junior forward Zain Majeed scored 22.
The tournament moves to Hope International University in Fullerton for semifinals Tuesday and the final Wednesday.
The semifinals schedule starts with Mater Dei (17-12) vs. St. John Bosco (19-6) at 5:30 p.m. followed by JSerra (18-11) vs. Santa Margarita (24-3) at 7:30 p.m.
JSerra beat Servite 78-53 in Monday’s other tournament game. Orange Lutheran and Servite were eliminated from the tournament.
The schedule Wednesday starts with the third-place game at 5:30 p.m. and concludes with the tournament championship game at 7:30 p.m.
The Trinity League played only one round of league games during the regular season. Those games served mainly to seed the teams for the league tournament.
St. John Bosco and Santa Margarita went 4-1 in league games. Mater Dei was fifth in the Trinity League standings with a 2-3 record.
As only the top three teams in a six-team league like the Trinity League are automatic qualifiers for the CIF Southern Section playoffs, a strong finish in the league tournament is essential to Mater Dei’s playoff chances.
The Monarchs have qualified for the boys basketball playoffs every season since Gary McKnight became the school’s coach in 1982.
If not an automatic qualifier, Mater Dei still could get into the playoffs as an at-large team.
Missing the playoffs is something that Barnett wants to avoid.
“It’s in the back of my mind obviously,” said Barnett, who signed with Kansas. “The main thing we’re focused on is winning the tournament and then everything will work itself out.”
Mater Dei was hot from the start Monday. The Monarchs quickly broke out to a 10-2 lead and stretched that to 23-6 at the end of the first quarter. Barnett’s first shot was a successful 3-point attempt and he finished the quarter with eight points and Ramirez had six points.
Two minutes into the second quarter it was 34-9. The Monarchs had a 43-18 lead at halftime.
Orange Lutheran (18-8), which upset St. John Bosco last week, was much better in the third quarter. The Lancers scored 28 points, led by sophomore guard Noah Zeola’s 12 points, including 10 for 10 shooting at the free-throw line. But Mater Dei scored 26 points in the quarter, led by Majeed’s seven points.
Barnett credited Mater Dei’s coaches for keeping the players positive in the wake of the two tough league losses last week, 74-73 to Santa Margarita and 67-66 to JSerra. Mater Dei had fourth-quarter leads in both games.
“They did a great job of keeping it upbeat because everyone was down,” Barnett said. “By the end of practice each day everyone was feeling a lot better.”
Senior guard Josh King led Orange Lutheran with 22 points including three 3-point baskets.
Ramirez was 8 for 11 from the floor for Mater Dei.
Mater Dei is No. 5 in this week’s Orange County Top 25 and Orange Lutheran is No. 6.
Also in the Trinity League Tournament:
JSerra 78, Servite 53: Sophomore forward Ryan Doane led the Lions (18-11) with 16 points and Jaden Bailes scored 15 points for the victorious Lions.
JSerra will play Santa Margarita in a tournament semifinal Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Hope International University.
The Lions had a 31-19 lead at halftime. Carlos Galvan and Saiger Smith, both freshman, scored 11 points apiece for Servite (18-11).
JSerra is No. 3 in the Orange County rankings. Servite is No. 11.