The Etiwanda Eagles staved off a furious rally from the Mater Dei Monarchs to capture the CIFSS 1AA Championship in a thrilling 54-51 classic.
Etiwanda jumped out to an early lead with lights out shooting from behind the arc. Standout junior Jordan McLaughlin, senior Darryl Adigwu and sophomore Delewis Johnson knocked down two three-pointers apiece.
The long range barrage helped the Eagles build a 29-13 advantage late in the second quarter.
Etiwanda Wins 54-51: Game Highlights
The Monarchs, led by Stanley Johnson, Jordan Strawberry and Elijah Brown, closed out the first half strong with an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to 29-21 at halftime.
The Eagles stifling defense bottled up the Monarchs offense in the third quarter. Etiwanda extended their lead to 43-30 heading into the final quarter.
True to form, Mater Dei charged back into the game. Trailing 47-30, the Monarchs mounted a big time rally thanks to some timely three-point shooting. Mater Dei turned up the defense and forced some turnovers which they quickly converted into easy baskets to draw closer.
Junior Kenny Barnes had a big fourth quarter for Etiwanda and finished with 16 points to lead the Eagles. Leading 54-51 with seconds to play, Barnes missed two free-throws to leave the door open for Mater Dei.
The Monarchs last ditch attempt misfired and time elapsed clinching the title for Etiwanda and sending their rabid fan base and players into a frenzy. It was a hard fought game by both teams but in the end Mater Dei was unable to overcome the big deficit and Etiwanda made enough plays to secure the victory.
