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Monday / Mar 12 / 2012

Tomorrow's matchup up featuring Nationally-ranked Mater Dei High School and the Loyola Cubs has to be the most exciting matchup of the 2012 CIF State Hoops Tournament up to this point. After the Monarchs' victory over Loyola in the CIF Southern Section Semis, super sophomore Stanley Johnson told College Level Athletes, "We hadn't played them this year, and it's the first team in California that's really been fast, and been able to run with us... and use their athletic ability just as good as us."

Katin Reinhardt Parker Jackson-Cartwright Stanley Johnson Xavier Johnson

Mater Dei matches up against Loyola in the 2012 CIF State HS Hoops Tourney

Loyola Mater Dei

Mater Dei vs. Loyola: 2012 CIF State High School Basketball Tourney South Region

Xavier "X-Straordinaire" Johnson gave the 2012 CIF Southern Section Basketball Playoff crowd something to go nuts about. The best dunk of the CIF SS playoffs came after Stanley Johnson dropped a Magic Johnson-esque dime to Xavier, who finished with a beastly smash and 'Mosgov' dunked over 6'11" Loyola center Thomas Welsh (40).

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The crowd at the Anaheim Convention Center was in a frenzy for most of the evening, as 4th seeded Loyola put up a valiant effort against Mater Dei. Jackson-Cartwright scored a team-high 17 points for Loyola, who fell 61-58 to the Monarchs at the CIF Southern Section Division 1AA Boys Basketball Semifinals.

Prior to Saturday night's Mater Dei vs. Long Beach Poly matchup, everyone was fully aware of what the Gary McKnight coached Monarchs squad had in its arsenal.

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"They battle, they get after it. Their guards are very good," said Head Coach Gary McKnight of Loyola's Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Jacob Hazzard. Jackson-Cartwright nearly sealed the deal for the Cubs, however, Mater Dei's combo of senior center Xavier Johnson and sophomore forward Stanley Johnson put the clamps on Loyola's efforts.