SANTA ANA – Mater Dei’s boys basketball team continued its recent strong run of games Saturday.

The Monarchs pulled away in the third quarter to beat Crean Lutheran 71-60 in the Nike Extravaganza at Mater Dei High.

Mater Dei had a 33-30 lead at halftime. The Monarchs outscored the Saints 17-2 to build a 50-32 lead and were in complete control from there.

Mater Dei, No. 3 in the Orange County Top 25, is 19-5 overall and No. 5 Crean Lutheran is 12-11.

The Monarchs have won five in a row since a 60-52 loss to JSerra in a Trinity League game on Jan. 15. Included in that winning streak is a 62-59 league win over Santa Margarita on Wednesday. Before the loss to JSerra, Mater Dei beat St. John Bosco 62-59.

Mater Dei plays JSerra on Wednesday at Mater Dei. The Monarchs are tied with St. John Bosco for first place in the Trinity League; both are 5-1.

Monarchs junior guard Luke Barnett led all scorers with 24 points Saturday. He has been among Orange County’s better 3-point shooters all season and kept that reputation intact Saturday night, making 4 of his 9 3-point attempts.

Mater Dei sophomore forward Demarcus Henry scored 21 points with a game-high 11 rebounds and three blocked shots. Senior forward Blake Davidson, who signed with Nevada, scored 12 points with eight rebounds.

Like any basketball team, Mater Dei was its best Saturday when the Monarchs moved the ball around quickly on offense, patiently working for the best shot.

“I like how we played as a team,” said Henry, who with his football receiver brother Chris moved to Southern California from Ohio before this school year. “We started slow but then we picked it up. We played good defense and we hustled.”

Crean Lutheran junior forward Jacob Majok continued his stellar play for the Saints. He scored 21 points with 10 rebounds and three blocked shots. His aggressive and acrobatic dunks are highlights of every Crean Lutheran game.

Sophomore guard Hunter Kaplan added 12 points for Crean Lutheran. Junior forward Will Malual scored 11 points for the Saints.

Mater Dei shot 50 percent from the field including 7 for 20 on 3-point attempts. The Monarchs were 6 for 10 at the free-throw line.

Crean Lutheran shot 38 percent and was also 7 for 20 on 3-point shots. The Saints were 11 for 16 on free throws.

Crean Lutheran is in first place in the Crestview League with a 4-1 league record. The Saints resume league play Tuesday with a home game against Foothill.

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