Santa Fe Christian holds El Camino to 26.5 percent shooting in tournament-opening victory
BY DON NORCROSS
In a college career spent at BYU and Marquette, Matt Carlino scored 1,620 points. But in his first season as the head coach at Santa Fe Christian, the 31-year-old Carlino is stressing about stopping the other team from putting points on the scoreboard.
“We want to be a great defensive team,” said Carlino.
In the opening game of the 33rd Torrey Pines Holiday Classic on Friday night, the eighth-ranked Eagles put on a stringy defensive display, routing El Camino 60-44.
The Wildcats scored just 15 points in the first half, had only one player in double figures and shot 32.6 percent from the field. (Santa Fe Christian shot 53 percent.) Through three quarters, El Camino hit just 26.5 percent of its shots.
“That was probably our best defensive effort of the year,” said Carlino, whose team improved to 6-4. “We work on it every day. I think that was kind of a breakthrough tonight of what we can be because that’s a really talented team in El Camino.”
Santa Fe Christian held El Camino (6-6) to 15 points below its average.
“Our whole game plan was just getting stops,” said SFC senior guard Brycen MacKenzie. “Being gap aware, helping each other out.”
Seemingly after every Santa Fe Christian basket, Carlino stood on the sideline, imploring his team, yelling as his players sprinted back on defense, “Get a stop!”
“Every single break (of the huddle), our message was, ‘Defense on three,’ ” said MacKenzie.
Carlino gave the 6-foot-2 MacKenzie props for spearheading the defensive effort. He wasn’t bad with this ball in his hands, either. MacKenzie scored a game-high 21 points, distributed eight assists and pulled down seven rebounds.
“Offensively, we know what he can do,” Carlino said of MacKenzie, who came in averaging 22.8 points. “He was very focused on the defensive end.”
SFC led 24-15 at the break, pushed the lead to 41-24 after three quarters and led by as many as 24 in the fourth quarter. Sophomore point guard Dax Hall, who came in averaging 14 points, scored 15, all in the second half, and added seven rebounds.
“Going into the second half, I just told him to act like you’re the best player on the court,” said MacKenzie.
The sophomore responded by nailing three 3s in the fourth quarter.
“Dax is one of the best point guards in San Diego,” said Carlino. “Even though he’s a sophomore, he’s mature for his age.”
Drew Konsmo scored 11 points for SFC. Devin McGee, who battled foul trouble throughout the game, scored 16 points for El Camino, 14 in the fourth quarter.
Carlino, meanwhile, is enjoying his first job as a head coach. He was a graduate assistant the previous two years at TCU.
“I love it,” he said. “Just the relationships. I love God being able to work through me in this role in these kids’ lives. The whole school, the administration, has the same foundation of what we want for all these kids.”
Carlino said it was an honor for his team to play the opening game of the prestigious tournament, now in its 33rd year.
“It doesn’t get much better than this tournament,” he said. “This is a special gym and a special place. I feel blessed to be a part of it.”