Mater Dei boys basketball beats JSerra to continue surge in state playoffs

Monarchs advance to regional semifinals after knocking off top-seeded La Mirada and Trinity League rival JSerra

Published on Mar. 6, 2026

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Mater Dei's boys basketball team continued its postseason run with a 64-60 victory over Trinity League rival JSerra in the second round of the CIF Southern California Regional playoffs. The 16th-seeded Monarchs, who previously upset No. 1 seed La Mirada, will face another Trinity League foe, St. John Bosco, in the regional semifinals on Saturday.

Why it matters

Mater Dei's unexpected playoff success has been a feel-good story, as the team has bounced back from an early exit in the CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoffs. The Monarchs' ability to knock off higher-seeded opponents has showcased the team's resilience and potential to make a deep run in the state tournament.

The details

In Thursday's game, Mater Dei was led by senior guard Luke Barnett, who scored a team-high 25 points and hit five 3-pointers. Junior forward Zain Majeed added 20 points and seven rebounds, while guard Richie Ramirez hit a crucial 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter to give the Monarchs the lead for good. JSerra was paced by senior guard Jaden Bailes, who scored a game-high 25 points.

  • Mater Dei beat No. 1-seeded La Mirada, 86-79, in the first round on Tuesday.
  • Mater Dei lost to Hesperia, 57-52, in the CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoffs semifinals on Feb. 20.
  • JSerra lost to Crean Lutheran 59-52 last week in the CIF-SS Division 1 final.

The players

Mater Dei

A high school boys basketball team that has made an unexpected run in the CIF Southern California Regional playoffs after being knocked out of the CIF Southern Section playoffs earlier this season.

Luke Barnett

A senior guard for Mater Dei who scored a team-high 25 points and hit five 3-pointers in the win over JSerra. Barnett has signed to play college basketball at the University of Kansas.

Zain Majeed

A junior forward for Mater Dei who scored 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the victory.

JSerra

A high school boys basketball team that lost to Mater Dei in the second round of the CIF Southern California Regional playoffs after previously losing to Crean Lutheran in the CIF-SS Division 1 final.

Jaden Bailes

A senior guard for JSerra who scored a game-high 25 points in the loss to Mater Dei.

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What they’re saying

“We know this is our last chance to make a run. We've had a lot of ups and downs this season.”

— Richie Ramirez, Mater Dei guard

“He's just now starting to feel good. He wanted it.”

— Gary McKnight, Mater Dei coach

What’s next

Mater Dei will play St. John Bosco in the regional semifinals on Saturday at 7 p.m. at St. John Bosco High.

The takeaway

Mater Dei's unexpected playoff success has been a feel-good story, as the team has bounced back from an early exit in the CIF Southern Section playoffs to knock off higher-seeded opponents and advance to the regional semifinals. The Monarchs' resilience and potential to make a deep run in the state tournament has been on full display.