February 5, 2011
The Archbishop Mitty Monarchs hosted the St. Ignatius Wildcats in an attempt to avenge their only league loss. The first three and half quarters were closely contested, however Mitty was able to take control in the last half of the fourth quarter to win 63-52.
In the first quarter, the teams were evenly matched up as St. Ignatius had an 11-9 lead with less than a minute left. But a Monarch dunk by Aaron Gordon tied the score. A bad Wildcat turnover and an intentional foul allowed the Monarchs to take a 15-11 first quarter lead.
St. Ignatius had too many turnovers early in the second quarter to trail 23-15. After a timeout, the Wildcats were able to run off 9 straight points to take a 24-23 lead. Mitty would score the remaining four points and go in the half up 27-24.
The Wildcats came out in the third quarter aggressive and were able to grab a 33-29 lead that would be their largest advantage of the game. Mitty would score the next 10 points to be up 39-33. The Wildcats would trail 43-38 at the end of the third quarter.
St. Ignatius was able to stay as close as 51-48 midway into the fourth quarter. Monarch Colin Wan would score 10 points in the quarter as he was able to attack the paint for layups and shooting fouls. The final points were scored on a breakaway dunk by Gordon to give Mitty the 63-52 victory.
Notes
How this game was won: Mitty Coach Tim Kennedy felt that the guard play of Wan was the difference. Wan had 14 points and 7 assists as the Wildcats were often double teaming Gordon who had 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks. As a result, Wan was able to get to the basket several times to create shots for himself or his teammates.
Turning point: After taking a 33-29 lead, the Wildcats went stagnant on offense and also had some bad turnovers. Mitty was able to score 10 straight points to take a 39-33 margin. The Monarchs were able to hold the lead the rest of the way.
Mitty analysis: Forward Neil Vranicar felt that the team had to come out and play aggressive to avenge the loss. He also said Mitty rebounded well and prevented St. Ignatius from getting offensive rebounds. Opponents that key on Gordon will have to deal with the Monarch guard play. In this game, the guards were aggressive which resulted in 24 free throw attempts with 18 made. The only blemish was that the Monarchs made one 3-point shot in 13 attempts.
St. Ignatius analysis: Stephen Domingo and Johnny Mrlik had 35 of the 52 points. They made seven 3-point shots in 11 attempts. However, the team committed too many fouls and had several turnovers. Still, Coach John DeBenedetti was pleased that his team competed and played hard against a very talented Mitty team. Domingo felt that the team did not execute at the end. He said it was tough environment to play but the team is going to be ready for playoffs.
What is next for Mitty: Mitty is now 19-2 overall and 10-1 in league with a seven game winning streak. Their next game will be against Sacred Heart Cathedral that will determine first place in league. University of San Diego commit Brandon White sat this game out due to the flu but will return to play by playoffs.
What is next for St. Ignatius: St. Ignatius is now 14-7 overall and 6-5 in league with consecutive losses. Their next game will be against St. Francis that will have an impact on third place in the league standings. The Wildcats will try to pick up some momentum going into playoffs.
Sophomore showdown: Gordon and Domingo displayed why they both are national level prospects. Gordon had five offensive rebounds as his second jump is so much quicker than the opponent's attempts at grabbing the defensive rebound. For a post player, Gordon can dribble the ball adequately and was comfortable shooting from the perimeter. However, he would be better served posting up to take advantage of his size or to find open teammates on double teams. Domingo is more comfortable face up on the offensive end and has a fluid perimeter shot. However, he shot no free throws in this game. He could use his height advantage by posting up or taking the ball to the basket for more free throw opportunities. Regardless, both Gordon and Domingo will garner even more BCS level college interest as they reach their senior years.
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