Mater Dei boys, girls basketball gets East Coast experience at Hoophall Classic

Mater Dei will make the most of its trip to the East Coast, including a trip to Boston and New York

SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS - There isn't a tandem of boys and girls basketball coaches that've been around longer than Gary McKnight and Kevin Kiernan.

McKnight is in year 42 at the helm of the boys' program and Kiernan is in his 17th year of the girls' team -- that's almost 60 years combined between the two.

On Friday, both programs competed in the Spalding Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts. It was McKnight's seventh time in the event and Kiernan's third.

"It's been a while, last time we were here was with Katie Lou Samuelson," Kiernan said.

That was when Samuelson was a junior in 2014.

The Mater Dei boys' beat Catholic Memorial of Massachusetts in a 87-69 rout thanks to five scorers in double figures, led by Brannon Martinsen's 21 points and 10 rebounds. 

The Monarchs grabbed 20 offensive rebounds and scored 31 second-chance points. Brandon Benjamin had 14 points and eight rebounds, and Blake Davidson notched 13 points and 14 rebounds.

The ladies fell to Morris Catholic of New Jersey, 64-48, without two starters in Addison Deal and Kaeli Wynn. However, Duke commit Jenessa Cotton notched a double-double with 14 point and 14 rebounds.

FINAL from @HoophallClassic
Mater Dei 87, Catholic Memorial (MA) 69

Brannon Martinsen 21pts, 10rebs; Blake Davidson 13pts, 14rebs; Brandon Benjamin 14pts

Monarchs had 22 off. rebounds and 34 second-chance points. pic.twitter.com/j2DUGj51pD

— Tarek Fattal (@Tarek_Fattal) January 13, 2024

Mater Dei isn't heading straight back home to sunny Southern California, though. The boys and girls' team will travel to New York together for the weekend to sight see. They'll attend mass together on Sunday at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York.

"We do things," McKnight said. "When we travel, we do things. I don't let them sit around watching movies and playing video games. We go see stuff."

Both programs toured Boston (roughly 90 minutes from Springfield) and visited the Basketball Hall of Fame, too.

McKnight recalled a time his team was in Washington, D.C. for a tournament game they played on Saturday night, and there was no rest for the Monarchs.

"We were up Sunday morning and at Thomas Jefferson's house," McKnight said with a chuckle. "(The team) hated me."

When the Monarchs do return to California, both programs will have Trinity League opponents waiting for them. The boys will face Santa Margarita on Wednesday. The girls take on Santa Margarita on Tuesday.