PREP BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Mater Dei Girls Rally, Beat Alemany

With the Mater Dei girls’ basketball team’s perfect record in jeopardy against Mission Hills Alemany, Monarch Coach Mary Hauser took guard Melody Peterson out of the game for a talk.

“We took her out in the third quarter and said, ‘You need to step it up if we’re going to win this game,’ ” Hauser said.

Peterson responded. She rallied the Monarchs from a 19-point, third-quarter deficit, and scored their last 10 points in a 56-52 victory Saturday night at Calvary Chapel High School.

Peterson, who finished with 31 points, said the Monarchs never believed they would lose.

“We never give up,” she said. “That’s what we practice. We never, ever, ever give up.”

Mater Dei (11-0) fell behind, 46-27, with two minutes left in the third quarter. But Peterson scored seven points in the last 1 minute 44 seconds of the quarter, including a three-pointer at the buzzer to cut Alemany’s lead to 46-36.

Peterson and Lori Hurlbut keyed the Monarchs’ comeback in the fourth quarter.

Alemany (10-3), ranked third in the state in Division II, scored two straight baskets to take a 52-51 lead, but Peterson gave Mater Dei the lead for good with two free throws with 1:29 left.

The Monarchs won despite a big effort from Alemany’s 6-foot-4 center Carly Funicello, who had 20 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots.