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Mater Dei boys basketball edges Santa Margarita to grab share of Trinity League lead

January 23, 2025

SANTA ANA — The Barnett and Bailey Circus was a great show Wednesday at Mater Dei High School.

Mater Dei junior Luke Barnett scored 30 points and Santa Margarita junior Kaiden Bailey scored 28 as their teams met in an important Trinity League game.

Barnett put his team ahead with a 3-pointer in the final minute of the contest, and the Monarchs went on to edge Santa Margarita 62-59.

Santa Margarita guard Kaiden Bailey takes a jump shot to score against Mater Dei in a Trinity League boys basketball game in Santa Ana on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

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Santa Margarita is No. 1 in this week’s Orange County Top 25 that has Mater Dei at No. 3, behind No. 2 JSerra.

Mater Dei (17-5 overall), which upset St. John Bosco last week, is 4-1 in the Trinity League, tied with St. John Bosco for first place in the six-team league.

Santa Margarita (17-4 overall) is 3-1 in league. JSerra is 4-2 in league.

Bailey and Barnett, who are both candidates for the Orange County player of the year honor, traded baskets in the second half. Bailey would make a 3, Barnett would make a 3. Barnett would score on a drive, Bailey would score on a drive.

Barnett said he tried to avoid a Me-vs.-Him duel.

“I tried to not let it get in the flow of the game at all,” Barnett said. “But obviously, when he’s going down there and scoring at will and hitting shots, I want to hit shots to keep my team in it.”

After scoring only two points in the first quarter, Bailey made all five of his shots in the second quarter – 4 for 4 on two-point shots and a successful 3-point try – for 11 points in the quarter and the Eagles had a 23-20 lead at halftime.

Bailey kept it going in the third quarter, scoring 10 points including two 3-pointers.

Barnett hit the gas pedal. He scored 16 points in the third quarter, going 7 of 9 from the field and 3 for 4 at the free-throw line.

Mater Dei put Malloy Smith on Bailey in the fourth quarter. Bailey was able to get off only three shots in the quarter, making two including a 3.

The Eagles led the Monarchs 46-44 going into the fourth quarter. The teams traded the lead frequently in the quarter.

Dallas Washington converted a 3-point play with 3:16 remaining to put the Eagles on top 57-55.

Barnett made a 3-pointer from the corner to return the lead to the Monarchs, 60-57, and a Demarcus Henry free throw put the Mater Dei advantage to 61-57.

Smith made a free throw with 10 seconds left to make it 62-57.

An uncontested layup by Santa Margarita’s Drew Anderson at the buzzer accounted for the final score, 62-59.

Bailey was 12 of 20 from the floor, 4 of 9 on 3-point tries. Barnett was 10 of 26 overall, 3 of 13 on 3s.

Barnett earlier this season scored a school single-game record of 55 points in a tournament game.

“I had a slow first half and in the second half I did whatever it took to win,” Barnett said of Wednesday’s game. “I finally got some open looks in the second half and went to the basket and got some foul calls.”

The first quarter was scoreless until Henry scored for Mater Dei three minutes into the quarter that ended with Mater Dei ahead 13-6. (The score of the Mater Dei-Santa Margarita football game at the end of the first quarter was 16-7, Mater Dei, in October.)

Santa Margarita shot better than Mater Dei on Wednesday. The Eagles were 25 of 52 on all shots (48 percent) and 8 of 22 on 3-pointers.

Santa Margarita attempted only one free throw, which came on Washington’s three-point play.

Mater Dei was 9 of 12 at the line. The Monarchs were 23 of 58 on all shots, including 7 of 25 on 3-point shots.

Mater Dei’s next game is a league home game Friday at 9 p.m. against Servite. It’s the final game of the first day of the two-day Nike Extravaganza at Mater Dei.

Santa Margarita has a challenging stretch of games coming up, including back-to-back games against St. John Bosco. The Eagles are home against St. John Bosco on Friday and at St. John Bosco on Monday.

Mater Dei boys basketball edges Santa Margarita to grab share of Trinity League lead Orange County Register

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Mater Dei boys basketball edges Santa Margarita to grab share of Trinity League lead

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