Etiwanda tops Mater Dei to reach Open Division final

RANCHO CUCAMONGA >> Etiwanda and Sierra Canyon — it’s the showdown many have been talking about since before the season started.

Etiwanda girls basketball coach Stan Delus and his players are not included in that group.

“Do we think about them at times? Sure. Do we have a chip? Of course,” Delus said, referring to Sierra Canyon knocking off the Eagles in last year’s CIF State Open Division regional championship game.

“But that hasn’t been the focus this season. We haven’t overlooked anybody we have played. I simply won’t allow that to happen here because if we don’t go out there take care of business, that game doesn’t even happen.”

Any questions about Etiwanda looking too far ahead were answered during the opening minutes of Saturday’s CIF Southern Section Open Division pool-play game against Mater Dei.

Kennedy Smith knocked down a 3-pointer on the opening possession and poured in 11 points in the first quarter to stake the Eagles to an early lead.

Mater Dei kept the score close well into the second half, but Etiwanda used an 11-1 run late in third quarter to gain control and eventually came away with a 71-59 victory.

Sierra Canyon took care of business as well Saturday night, so the teams will square off Saturday at Honda Center in Anaheim for the section’s Open Division championship for the second straight season. Sierra Canyon scored a 60-51 win in last season’s title game.

“We know it’s going to be a tough game because both teams really want to win. We just need to stick to our game,” Smith said.

Smith and Aliyahna “Puff” Morris combined to score all 17 of Etiwanda’s points in the opening quarter. Smith caused Mater Dei fits throughout the evening, but the Monarchs (28-3) stayed within striking distance in the opening quarter because of the shooting of Addison

Deal.

Etiwanda (29-1) had an eight-point lead at the break, but the Eagles struggled with Mater Dei’s pressure in the second half, turning the ball over five times in the first three minutes of the third quarter.

Mater Dei took advantage and pulled even at 36 when center Jenessa Cotton scored her only basket of the game with 4:37 remaining in the third period.

Delus contemplated using a timeout to settle things down but decided to let his players figure it out for themselves. The strategy paid off as the Eagles put together an 11-1 run over the next 21/2 minutes to take a double-digit lead for the first time.

Deal sank a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter to trim the deficit to eight points, but Etiwanda immediately countered with a 7-0 run.

“Our goal was to stay connected, be within five or six points going into the last three minutes and put the all pressure on them late in the game,” Mater Dei coach Kevin Kiernan said. “We missed free throws (12 of 21) and got beat up on the boards a bit. That really didn’t help us out.”

Smith finished with a game-high 26 points, and Morris scored 14 of her 20 points in the second half.

Morris and Sa’lah Hemingway (nine points and eight rebounds) combined to sink eight free throws during the final minute to seal the victory.

Deal scored 16 points to lead Mater Dei, and Shaena Brew added 14 points and six rebounds for the Monarchs.

So, how quickly will Etiwanda set its sights on Sierra Canyon?

“I won’t focus on Sierra Canyon for another few days from now,” Delus said. “We need to worry about us, and fix us right now. We need to not be throwing the ball away. We need to move the ball and share the ball at the right times. My focus over the next few days isn’t how do we beat Sierra Canyon. We’re going to be taking about Etiwanda the next three or four days and that’s it.”