Mater Dei Has Fun on Campus

After playing most of its home games at the Bren Center since the 1989-90 season, Mater Dei crammed fans into its campus gym Friday for a boys’ basketball game for the first time since 1991.

Crowded? Yes. Atmosphere? Absolutely.

“It was great,” Coach Gary McKnight said. “Everybody got in and the crowd was right on top of the game. It was kind of a fun atmosphere.”

Since moving to the Bren Center from Chapman University in the 1989-90 season, Mater Dei had played only twice on campus, a playoff game in 1990 and a league game in 1991.

McKnight said other South Coast League teams didn’t bring enough people to make it financially worthwhile to remain at the 5,000-seat arena, but said that next year, Friday games might be played at the Bren and weeknight games at Mater Dei. Four games this season will be played on campus.

“The Bren is so big, the crowd rarely gets into it unless it’s the playoffs,” McKnight said. “The players really like playing [in the campus gym]. Our kids were in shock--they hadn’t heard noise like that in a long time.”

*

Vincent Avitabile, whose El Toro girls’ basketball team had a 13-2 record against pretty moderate competition before playing third-ranked Woodbridge on Thursday, knew his team didn’t have to win to get the respect his players wanted but had to play well.

Said Avitabile: “If we play them tough, it legitimizes us.”

El Toro fell behind by 40 points and lost, 87-52.

Afterward, Avitabile was asked if he thought such a devastating result could have been possible. He nodded.

“But you never tell your kids they’re going to be pounded by 40 points.”

*

Whitney Houser, a Laguna Hills forward who fractured her foot Dec. 26 at the Marina girls’ basketball tournament, has received clearance from her doctor to return to the lineup. But Coach Lynn Taylor, whose team is 12-3, said he won’t rush Houser back because she’s too valuable.

“Even if we were to lose a league game, I’m not going to push it,” Taylor said. “We’re worried about the playoffs. Having her healthy is our best chance. And we have a great chance.”

Laguna Hills, ranked No. 2 in Orange County, is ranked No. 1 in the Southern Section Division II-AA poll. Houser, averaging 14 points, was the Hawks’ leading scorer before she was injured.

*

Two county schools have earned scholastic All-CIF recognition in boys’ cross-country, girls’ cross-county and girls’ volleyball. Orange Lutheran was second in boys’ cross-country with a 3.88 cumulative grade-point average, and third in girls’ cross-country with a 3.81 cumulative GPA. Calvary Chapel was second in girls’ volleyball with a 3.88 cumulative GPA.

*

The way things are shaping up in South Coast League girls’ soccer, it will take the county’s best team to win the league championship this season.

There are five league teams ranked in the top 10 in the Orange County Coaches’ poll, including top-ranked Capistrano Valley, 11-2-2 and 1-0 in league, and second-ranked Mater Dei (10-2, 1-0).

Capistrano Valley started the league season with a convincing 4-0 victory over No. 7 Dana Hills on Thursday. Likewise, three-time defending champion Mater Dei made its intention clear with a 2-1 victory over No. 5 Mission Viejo (10-3-2, 0-1).

The loss dropped the Diablos two spots in the rankings, but they should by no means be counted out of the league race.

League play continues today and Thursday and there will be several big games next week, when Mission Viejo hosts Capistrano Valley on Jan. 21 and Capistrano Valley hosts Mater Dei on Jan. 23.

“Every game is going to be a battle,” said Mater Dei Coach Austin Sharp. “Nobody is going to run away with this.”

Times staff writers Wendy Witherspoon and Mike Terry contributed to this report.