January 4 8:50 AM · 109 Clicks
No. 1 Mater Dei improves to 14-0
Jonathan Kay, Orange County Register
 LONG BEACH - Mater Dei coach Gary McKnight said his team is trying to develop more depth. "In the state championship last year, we needed our 10th and 11th man," he said. Clearly, the Monarchs, who are No. 1 in the National Prep Poll, don't have much to worry about. Saturday night, in the Pongos Dream Classic at Long Beach City College, Mater Dei won its 14th-consecutive game to start the season. With 26 points from David Wear and 18 from Tyler Lamb, the Monarchs defeated Gahr, 90-66.
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The No. 1 question from fans attending the Gatorade Timberwolves Shootout on Saturday at Target Center was "Who let Lake Geneva Badger into the building?" The Wisconsin high school had the bad luck of the draw in playing Hopkins, ranked No. 9 in the National Prep Poll. Badger had no player taller than 6 feet 3, and the mismatch in size and talent was reflected in the Royals' 79-41 victory during the six-game exhibition. 
St. Patrick was playing its first game this season on New Jersey soil, but still obviously wearing its well-worn road legs. Where a statement like that often implies fatigue and depletion, in St. Patrick's case it meant only focus and rejuvenation. Senior guard Dexter Strickland scored 18 points and senior forward Paris Bennett contributed 13 points, six assists and four blocks as they powered well-balanced St. Patrick to a 78-32 victory over Lakewood yesterday at the Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children Basketball Festival at Kean University in Union. 
MYRTLE BEACH -- New Jersey grit won out over Georgia flash in Wednesday's Beach Ball Classic championship game. Mixing determined defense with opportunistic offense, St. Patrick (N.J.) handed Wheeler (Ga.) a second straight championship game loss in a 72-53 triumph at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.