ESPNHS California

Mater Dei and La Jolla Country Day each get three on the overall Cal-Hi Sports All-State teams chosen regardless of CIF division or year in school. Click here for All-State Underclass or All-State by CIF Divisions.

FIRST FIVE

F/G Jordan Adams (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) 6-1 Sr.
Although the first team may seem guard heavy, Adams actually spent plenty of time in the post this season for the Monarchs, battling on the boards and often guarding the opposition's best player. At the McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Adams joked about how relieved she was that the season was complete. After all, she helped lead Mater Dei to its third consecutive state title by averaging 17 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game while playing on a bum knee. She plays next for USC.

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This is the second group of 2012 Cal-Hi Sports all-state girls basketball teams, which breaks down the best of the best within each CIF state playoff division. Click here for All-State Underclass. Contributing: Harold Abend.

ALL-STATE DIVISION I

First Team
F/G Jordan Adams (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) 6-1 Sr.
G Elisha Davis (Berkeley) 5-6 Sr.
G Nirra Fields (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) 5-9 Sr.
F/G Destiny King (Long Beach Poly) 5-10 Sr.
F Keitra Wallace (Brea Olinda, Brea) 5-11 Sr.

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It’s two years in a row that a Mater Dei player earns top statewide honor as Fields tops teammate Jordan Adams and three others to be the Cal-Hi Sports Ms. Basketball State Player of the Year.

Her stay at Mater Dei of Santa Ana was a short one, but Nirra Fields certainly made her mark on one of the most successful programs in recent California girls basketball history.

Now, after leading her team to its third straight CIF state championship, the Canadian-born Fields joins Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis to become the second consecutive Ms. Basketball State Player of the Year to wear a Monarch uniform.

“It wasn’t my goal to win Ms. Basketball or Gatorade Player of the Year, but it’s definitely an honor coming from Canada where it’s not really known for basketball but hockey,” said Fields, who last month was named Gatorade California Player of the Year.

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The closest calls to make in these categories this year were for Division III and for freshmen. Top honorees also announced for every other CIF division and for juniors, sophomores.

Congratulations to these girls players for being selected as an ESPNHS Cal-Hi Sports State Player of the Year. Stay tuned for the release next week of the 32nd annual ESPNHS Cal-Hi Sports All-State Teams. Here is a complete list of our girls basketball individual honorees for the 2011-12 season:

Seniors – Nirra Fields (Mater Dei, Santa Ana)

Also named as the Ms. Basketball State Player of the Year, Fields played last season at Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), a school more known for its boys teams.

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One player from among these five will be selected as the 2012 honoree and will be added to a list of state players of the year by Cal-Hi Sports that stretches back to 1905.

A guard-heavy group of girls have been singled out this week by ESPNHS Cal-Hi Sports as finalists for the 2012 Ms. Basketball State Player of the Year.

The five prime-time performers are led by McDonald’s All-Americans Jordan Adams and Nirra Fields, who both played at Mater Dei of Santa Ana and led the Monarchs to the CIF Division I state title.

When two players like that, however, are on the same team, the consideration for post-season honors can be split and can help a different player move up to the top.

Here is a closer look at the five players:

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Mater Dei boys, girls make more history by getting sweep for second straight season.

This boys-girls sweep of the State Team of the Year honor is getting to be old hat for Mater Dei of Santa Ana.

Last year, Mater Dei became the first school in state history to be considered No. 1 in the state overall for both genders. The Monarchs have done it again with the announcement of this year’s final No. 1 team on Monday.

The only difference between the two seasons is that this year’s girls team at Mater Dei was not a clear-cut selection. The Monarchs certainly got a run for their money by La Jolla Country Day of La Jolla.

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Mater Dei three-peats by pulling away from Berkeley in what looks like final game for coach Cheryl Draper. Defensive record also set by Bishop O'Dowd in Division III victory while Brookside Christian brings another state title to Stockton with D5 triumph.

The CIF Division I, Division III and Division V state title games in girls basketball were played at Power Balance Arena in Sacramento. The Division II and Division IV titles were decided on Friday.

Division I:
Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 57, Berkeley 40

In a game that was very reminiscent of the 2011 Division I state title game matchup, Mater Dei (34-3) overcame a first quarter deficit to win easily and claim its third straight state championship.

The 2010 title came in Division II with the last two in the state’s big school division.

The win also solidifies Mater Dei’s No. 1 position in the final Cal-Hi Sports rankings and a top 10 finish in the POWERADE FAB 50 national rankings where the Monarchs were No. 8 this past week.

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This year’s CIF state championships on the girls side feature four strong favorites and one game that is almost too close to call.

Note: All of the following writeups and selections are done with the highest level of respect to both teams and all coaches. We never use point spreads and, sure, some of the scores might be a bit more lopsided than we might think. But you also never know what might happen. After all, these are teenagers.

We had one of our worst years ever in last year’s CIF finals (boys and girls combined) with just six correct and four wrong. We were 7-for-10 in 2010 and were 9-for-10 in 2009.

The following writeups were completed by Harold Abend, Paul Muyskens.

Girls Division I
(Saturday, March 24, 9:30 a.m.)

Cal-Hi Sports’ predicted score:
Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 61, Berkeley 48

There’s little surprise that these two teams are meeting again for the state’s big school title. What’s different is the makeup of the two teams from last year.

Two-time defending state champion Mater Dei sent Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis off to Connecticut leaving USC-bound and ESPNHS Girls Basketball Class of 2012 No. 2 Jordan Adams and Washington State-bound Alexas Williamson to carry on.

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Archived Cal-Hi Sports content from previous platform

Mater Dei defeats Brea Olinda with fourth-quarter comeback and could return to No. 1 in the state next week due to Windward’s upset loss in three overtimes earlier this week. Lynwood, Summit and Arroyo Grande also win titles.

For three quarters and most of the fourth, it looked like a third big upset of the week in the CIF Southern Section girls basketball championship was more than a possibility in the Division I-AA final played Friday night at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Brea Olinda of Brea had a 39-36 lead over two-time defending CIF Division I state champ Mater Dei of Santa Ana and took a 45-43 advantage midway through the final quarter on a pair of free throws by senior Taylor Spears.

In the last three minutes of the game, however, Mater Dei (30-3) reared up and slapped down the upset special with an 11-2 run that gave the Monarchs a 54-47 triumph.

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Important announcement from Cal-Hi Sports | Archived Cal-Hi Sports content

There are no big upsets yet in any of the state’s section playoffs, but that could change by this weekend. This week’s biggest noise in the rankings comes from Archbishop Mitty of San Jose, which rolled in its league final against state-ranked St. Ignatius and had to jump into the top 15.

The Cal-Hi Sports caravan was at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills last Saturday for the West Catholic Athletic League playoff championships.

The Archbishop Mitty girls opened up the evening’s sweep by the San Jose school of both the girls and boys playoff titles with a convincing 63-47 victory over St. Ignatius of San Francisco.

In winning, coach Sue Phillips’ charges left no doubt as to who is the top team in the CIF Central Coast Section. The impressive win also enabled Mitty to jump up to No. 14 in this week’s overall state top 20.

Mitty trailed 10-7 early before going on a 17-2 run to take control. The lead got to 19 points on two occasions, and SI was never able to get closer than 13 points after trailing 52-33 early in the fourth quarter.

Monarchs’ sophomore Kelli Hayes led the way with 15 points. Senior guard Vanessa Garner had 13 points, nine rebounds, three steals and three assists. She was instrumental in taking control early and igniting the run.

Pepperdine-bound 6-foot-3 senior Amanda Lovely had a double-double 12 points and 10 rebounds. Junior Emily Dinger scored 11 points with three 3-pointers, including two during the 17-2 run.

“After the loss to SI and especially this week in practice we really turned it on,” said Lovely on a post-game live video feed.

The victory was the third straight playoff title and fifth overall for the Monarchs since the league adopted girls playoffs 10 years ago.

(Through games played on Saturday, Feb. 18)
(Last week’s ranking in parentheses)

1. (1) Windward (Los Angeles) 25-3
To say the girls flexed their muscles in the first week of the CIF Southern Section Division 4AA playoffs would be an understatement. First, the Wildcats smothered Nipomo 98-14 in the opening round. Then, in what was a display of total firepower, they posted a 115-46 blasting of Workman (City of Industry). The point total is the equivalent of 173-points in an NBA-length game. Nationally-rated sophomores Kristen Simon and Jordin Canada had double-doubles against Workman. Simon had 23 points and 14 rebounds, while Canada had 21 points and 10 assists with six rebounds and five steals. Texas-bound 6-foot-7 Imani Stafford also had a double-double 20 points and 13 rebounds with five blocks. Coach Steve Smith’s girls will ride a nine-game winning streak into a quarterfinal game with visiting JSerra of San Juan Capistrano.

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Important announcement from Cal-Hi Sports | Archived Cal-Hi Sports content

48 is enough for San Diego Southwest’s Villegas and Napa Trinity Prep’s Franklin. Best among girls includes 45-point explosion from Irene Aranda.

For last week's State Stat Stars, click here.

Note: We’re proud once again to collect weekly writeups of the most significant individual high school basketball totals in California. We use these as the basis for updating the state record book, which has been published seven times, most recently in the spring of 2009. To report a state stat star of your own, please email highlights to Mark.Tennis@espn.com.

(After games of Monday, Jan. 16 and some games of Tuesday, Jan. 17)

Boys Basketball

Dakarai Allen (Sheldon, Sacramento)
Facing a Jesuit of Carmichael team that has been ranked in the state top this season he came up with a huge performance to lead the Huskies to victory as he scored 29 points, had four steals and blocked three shots in a 88-70 Delta River League game.

Bobby Alvarado (Mission Oak, Tulare)
The sophomore standout scored a career-high of 33 points in a 55-40 win by his team over Cesar Chavez of Delano in a East Yosemite League game.

Eric Ambrose (Rolling Hills Prep, San Pedro)
The Huskies remained undefeated in Coastal League play as he scored 31 points and grabbed nine rebounds in a 70-50 win over Wildwood of Los Angeles.

Payton Banks (Lutheran, Orange)
With standout Gabe York on the bench, Banks has stepped up his game. He scored 30 points in losses last week to Mater Dei and JSerra.

Ivo Basor (Watsonville)
Ivo became a 20-20 man, and at the same time he gave Seaside the proverbial heave-ho, after registering 25 points and 20 rebounds in a surprisingly easy 64-38 victory.

Jabari Bird (Salesian, Richmond)
The high-flying “Bird Man” was 12-of-18 (including three treys) from the field and scored 31 points, including 27 in the second half, and all 10 of Salesian’s final points in a 66-47 win over Berkeley.

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