Dominguez and Mater Dei are neck and neck right from the start

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In a back-and-forth first quarter in the Southern Section Division I-AA final between Mater Dei and Dominguez, it’s the top-seeded Dons who own a 15-14 lead at Honda Center.

Mater Dei started with a box-and-one defense, forcing the Dons to score from outside. Dominguez, meanwhile, seems to be trying to implement an up-tempo pace. Mater Dei only used one reserve in its semifinal victory over Long Beach Wilson, so the Monarchs could be vulnerable to fatigue. Good thing it’s a TV game because Mater Dei players can use the extra timeouts.

Dominguez is also doing a better job on the offensive glass, earning second-chance points on two of its first five buckets. The Monarchs have forced two turnovers in Dominguez’s backcourt, turning both into easy layups.

Andy Brown and David Wear have five points each for the second-seeded Monarchs. Jordan Hamilton and Myron Green have four apiece for Dominguez.

Nice crowd here, probably half the upper deck is full and most of the lower deck.

-- Dan Arritt