O’Dea 60, Mark Morris 48

By TIM BOOTHAssociated Press Writer TACOMA (AP) – Stanford-bound guard Mitch Johnson scored 21 points, and O’Dea won its second-straight Class 3A state title with a 60-48 victory over Mark Morris on Saturday night at the Tacoma Dome. O’Dea beat Rainier Beach 68-64 in double overtime for last year’s championship, and became just the fifth school to repeat since 1969. The Irish also won titles in 1997 and 1993. Johnson, son of former Seattle SuperSonics player John Johnson, scored 11 points in the second half. Conor Mullen added 13 points for O’Dea (26-4), which won its 10th straight game. O’Dea’s starters scored all 60 of its points. The Irish shot 61 percent from the floor in the second half. “We didn’t play well in the first half and yet we were only down two,” O’Dea coach Phil Lumpkin said. “I thought if we could match their desire we could take them, and we did.” It was Mark Morris’ first time playing for the state title since winning it in 1987. The Monarchs (24-4) won titles in 1978 and 1985 as well. Mark Morris was trying to become just the fourth team from outside the Metro Conference, mostly Seattle schools, to win the state title in the last 10 years. Josh Wilson scored 16 points for the Monarchs, but he was held to four in the second half. Trailing 30-28 midway through the third quarter, O’Dea scored nine straight points. Peter O’Neil’s basket with 3:35 left in the quarter gave the Irish their first lead at 31-30. The lead stretched to 37-30, before consecutive 3-point plays from the Monarchs’ Mickey Polis pulled Mark Morris to 37-36. O’Dea’s Jamelle McMillan, son of Sonics coach Nate McMillan, made an 18-foot jumper at the end of the third quarter for a 39-36 lead. The Irish started the fourth quarter with an 11-6 spurt — keyed by two baskets each from Johnson and Mullen — to take a 50-42 lead they did not relinquish. The Irish then played keep-away, holding the ball at the offensive end for more than two minutes. Mark Morris eventually fouled, putting the Irish at the free throw line. O’Dea made 10 free throws in the final 1:37.