Fountain Valley boys’ basketball battles, but falls to Mater Dei in CIF opener
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SANTA ANA — Brendan Holmes was a decorated high school boys’ basketball player at Marina High School in the late 2000s.
He still ranks third in the CIF Southern Section record books for three-pointers made in a career (409) and a season (149).
But for all the accomplishments, he never got a chance to play against Mater Dei, the team he considers the gold standard of Southern California basketball.
Holmes is now a first-year head coach at Fountain Valley, and his Barons got that chance on Wednesday night in the first round of the Division 1 playoffs.
“They had an opportunity to test themselves against the best, and myself against [Monarchs coach Gary] McKnight, an unbelievable coach who’s been doing it for a really long time,” Holmes said.
The Barons battled until the very end, but No. 3-seeded Mater Dei earned a 66-57 win in its home gym.
Fountain Valley finishes its season 19-10 despite the efforts of senior guard Aaron De Santiago, who led all scorers Wednesday night with 27 points. That total included five three-pointers, adding to his own Orange County-best total of 94 triples.
“People can say it’s a tough draw, but we came into it and we knew we had a chance,” De Santiago said. “We knew they were beatable. If we hit a couple of shots here and there, we’re back in it for sure. We got the looks, we just didn’t make them tonight. We did everything we could. I love these guys. It was definitely a good season, for sure.”
Blake Davidson led a balanced Mater Dei attack with 19 points, one of four Monarchs in double figures. Demarcus Henry added 17 points. Luke Barnett scored 13 and Malloy Smith, the son of NBA personality Kenny Smith, added 11 points.
Davidson, a senior who is 6-foot-9, scored most of his points close to the basket.
“At just about every position, they had several inches on us,” Holmes said with a smile. “I think the guys were ready for the challenge and the opportunity to play a storied program, a well-coached program. They definitely answered our call early, which was great. We just didn’t have enough in us to see it through.”
Senior point guard Devin Payne scored nine of his 13 points in the first quarter, helping Fountain Valley take a 16-10 lead.
After a rare four-point play from De Santiago, the hosts closed the second quarter on a 10-1 run to take a 33-28 halftime advantage.
Still, Fountain Valley kept its deficit to single digits until the latter stages of the fourth quarter.
Holmes said the season turned when Fountain Valley rallied from a 21-point third quarter deficit to stun Newport Harbor on the road 62-58 in a Sunset League game on Jan. 22. The Barons’ only loss in league after that was a two-point defeat against undefeated league champion Los Alamitos, and they finished tied for third in the highly competitive league.
“We became a more physical team, and I think we really started to trust each other,” Holmes said. “That boded well in that second half of league, where we made a great run.”
Also in the CIF Southern Section boys’ basketball playoffs Wednesday:
Crespi 90, Edison 54: The Chargers (17-11) fell on the road to the top-seeded Celts in a Division 1 first-round game.
Corona del Mar 70, Rancho Cucamonga 66: The Sea Kings pulled off an upset road win over the No. 4 seed in Division 1.
CdM (21-8) hosts Rolling Hills Prep in the second round Friday.
Pacifica Christian Orange County 62, Saugus 41: EJ Spillman had 22 points for the Tritons in the Division 2AA first-round game on the road.
Hudson Reynolds added 17 points for Pacifica Christian (20-7), which hosts Newport Harbor in an all-Newport Beach second-round game Friday night.
Newport Harbor 66, South Pasadena 64: Gavin Guy hit the game-winning shot to lift the Sailors in the Division 2AA first-round game at home.
Jack Berry scored 24 points and Owen Saukkola added 22 points for Newport Harbor (18-11), which plays at Pacifica Christian on Friday.
Sage Hill 44, Oakwood 39: The Lightning earned a close win in their Division 3AA opener at home.
Sage Hill plays at West Torrance in the second round Friday.
Calvary Baptist 79, Costa Mesa 53: The Mustangs (10-18) lost at home in a Division 4AA first-round game.
Newport Christian 71, California School for the Deaf 61: The Seahawks (17-4) won their Division 4A opener on the road and host Hacienda Heights Wilson in the second round Friday.
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