Kearny High found the key to ending Sweetwater’s great run Saturday afternoon.
Coach Carl Bronson, ably assisted by UT-San Diego sportswriter Mark Zeigler, exposed the shorter Red Devils’ lack of a low post defense.
The strategy allowed the Komets to repeatedly attack from the low block under the basket for layups and point-blank shots.
Kearny took the lead at 33-32 at the start of the third quarter and never looked back, pulling away for a 73-58 victory in the San Diego Section III finals before about 2,500 persons at the Jenny Craig Pavilion.
David Moa led Kearny with 19 points and 18 rebounds in a contest that had a pin ball machine pace.
Errant passes and turnovers were routine as the Komets matched Sweetwater’s rapid, pressing style, which had worn down the Red Devils’ first 28 opponents.
Spencer Mattox scored 19 points for Sweetwater but the hustling, high-energy senior seemed fatigued in the second half.
For the game, Mattox missed on five three-point attempts.
Kearny, now 25-2, await its seeding and opponent in the Southern California playoffs next week.
