Francisco’s Finest: Mater Dei vs Santa Margarita (Part 1)

Joel Francisco

May 2, 2021 @ 10:53 PM

Francisco’s Finest: Mater Dei vs Santa Margarita (Part 1) SANTA ANA, Ca—In a much-anticipated Trinity League match-up, Mater Dei would use its stingy defense to methodically put away a resilient Santa Margarita 51-38. The Monarchs relied on their imposing frontcourt of seniors [player_tooltip player_id="680195" first="Wilhelm" last="Breidenbach"], [player_tooltip player_id="680209" first="Harrison" last="Hornery"], and Nick Davidson to pound the Eagles in the paint area on a consistent basis. The Nevada-bound Davidson would lead the Monarchs with 17-points while Hornery chipped in with 14-points. Unsigned senior [player_tooltip player_id="680223" first="Luke" last="Turner"] would lead the Eagles with 13-points. [player_tooltip player_id="747083" first="Nick" last="Davidson"] (Mater Dei) 2021, PF, 6-foot-9, 225 pounds Joel’s Take: Davidson had his inside-out game going in this tilt with Santa Margarita. He does a nice job of facing up his opponent, jab stepping him, and making a move. His touch from the perimeter is smooth and he can finish with either hand. Due to his solid feet, soft hands, and savvy for the game, he should be a solid stretch 4-man for Nevada. [player_tooltip player_id="951263" first="Jake" last="Blazona"] (Santa Margarita) 2021, PG, 6-foot, 155 pounds Joel’s Take: One of the better true point guards in Orange County is Blazona. He does a nice job facilitating the Eagle offense and his head is always up looking for open teammate. He isn’t a burner, but he changes speeds well and his pull-up game is on the come. He was a bit reluctant early on as the Monarchs were giving him the mid-range pull-up, but as the game progressed he became more assertive. Defensively, he showed his grit as he took a number of charges. [player_tooltip player_id="680209" first="Harrison" last="Hornery"] (Mater Dei) 2021, PF, 6-foot-8, 225 pounds Joel’s Take: The Monarchs have a bevy of stretch 4-men and Hornery is one of the more productive ones in the bunch. He can step out and nail the 3-point shot and his mechanics look tight. He isn’t overly quick or bouncy, but he is skilled and can score on the block as well with either hand. [player_tooltip player_id="680223" first="Luke" last="Turner"] (Santa Margarita) 2021, WF, 6-foot-6, 175 pounds Joel’s Take: Turner had a rough start to the game and from the free throw line as well, but he when his team needed a spark, he gave it to them. He possesses a nice triple-threat game as he jab-stepped his way to the rim on a number of occasions. He has the quickness and bounce to finish over the bigs, but he needs to play through contact better. That being said, he did have nice interior finishes and he knocked in a deep 3-point shot as well.