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Mater Dei girls basketball uses depth to race past JSerra for first place in Trinity League

January 17, 2025

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — If one only focused on the top scoring averages and college recruiting interest, Mater Dei’s girls basketball team could appear to be heavily-powered by Addison Deal and Kaeli Wynn.

And while that duo has been outstanding in averaging about 19 points per game, the Monarchs rely on more than just arguably Orange County’s top two players.

Mater Dei presented a compelling case in a 79-37 victory at JSerra on Thursday.

In improving to 2-0 in the Trinity League and running their winning streak to a season-high eight games, the top-ranked Monarchs (19-2) used their depth off the bench to overcome foul trouble in the first half.

The contributions from post Nohe’alani Stores and rising sophomore Harmony Golightly off the bench helped set the stage for a strong finish by Mater Dei. The Monarchs invoked a running clock late in the fourth period and outscored the No. 7 Lions 27-0 in points off the bench.

“We’re all about team,” first-year Mater Dei coach Jody Wynn said. “Honestly, we see it every day in practice. We have a very competitive practice every day. There’s not a lot of drop off (between starters and reserves). We’ve got four seniors who all signed Division 1 and one is coming in off the bench.

“Our bench has been solid all year along,” the coach added.

Golightly made five 3-pointers to finish with 15 points and share the team scoring lead with Iowa signee Deal (seven rebounds).

Stores, a UC Irvine signee, scored eight of her 10 points in the first half in joining starters Amaya Williams (14 points) and Wynn (12) as double-digit scorers.

Deal, Wynn and Stella Hoss all experienced foul trouble in the first half for Mater Dei.

Golightly not only softened the blow but gave Mater Dei the lead for good with her first 3-pointer in the opening quarter. She later beat the halftime buzzer with a 3-pointer from the corner for a 36-24 lead. Williams, bound for Grand Canyon, recorded the assist.

“Harmony played a great game,” Wynn said of Golightly, who had 18 points, including three 3-pointers, against Santa Margarita on Tuesday.

Mater Dei guard Devyn Kiernan, a Southern Utah signee, set the tone for the second half by opening with a 3-pointer off an assist by Wynn.

The Monarchs sank seven of their 10 3-pointers in the second half, including two from Williams and three from Golightly in the fourth.

“We have a lot of pieces so we try to move the ball well and I think we have a great group of girls who are unselfish kids,” Jody Wynn said. “They really just want to get better for the ultimate goal of winning when it counts.”

Kayla Rice and Vivian Grenald scored 13 and 12 points, respectively, to lead JSerra (11-9, 1-1), which started all sophomores.

The Lions’ depth was hurt without Eden Hoff (concussion protocol).

“We were completely in the game through halftime and then we just let it get away from us in second half,” JSerra interim coach Phil Talleur said. “Our girls were working big minutes but … we made some in-roads. We got them in a little bit of foul trouble.”

“We did some good things,” the coach added.

Both teams are participating in upcoming showcases. JSerra plays St. Anthony at the Mira Costa showcase on Saturday at 3 p.m. while the Monarchs face Windward on Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the Rosary showcase.

Orange County Register

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Mater Dei girls basketball uses depth to race past JSerra for first place in Trinity League

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