HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS DIVISION II-III : El Camino Two Tough, Rolls Past Monte Vista

Everything Monte Vista threw at El Camino Thursday night in a Division II boys’ basketball playoff game, El Camino answered in duplicate.

Monte Vista featured 6-foot-11 center Joe McNaull in the middle. El Camino had 6-9 Dee Boyer and 6-5 Shaun Scurry.

Monte Vista (17-7) had one of the county’s best shooters in Jeff Polinsky. El Camino countered with two good ones, Travis Gilley and Glen Ankton.

Add El Camino’s depth, superior quickness and the home court advantage and it is easy to see why the Wildcats defeated Monte Vista, 82-62.

That is not to say the Wildcats romped. They just methodically increased their lead from four points after one quarter to seven after two and 10 after three.

Monte Vista cut the lead to five with 5:48 left in the third quarter, but Monarch Coach Zach Peck was called for a technical foul for being on the court. Peck argued he was trying to get his players attention for a timeout after Boyer was fouled underneath, but the call stood.

El Camino made three of the four foul shots and an ensuing basket on its possession to go ahead by 10, 49-39.

“That was definitely a turning point in momentum,” McNaull said.

El Camino still led by 10, 66-56, with three minutes 40 seconds to go, but the Wildcats outscored the Monarchs, 16-6, with most of the damage done after McNaull fouled out with 3:14 left.

Gilley began the run with his third three-pointer, Ankton made a free throw and Boyer, who has committed to Lamar University, added two more to push the lead to 72-56.

“All we had to do was stop 32 and 40 (Polinsky and McNaull),” Scurry said. “All we were doing was keying on them.”

Despite the attention, Polinsky still had a game-high 25 points. McNaull had 17 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocked shots.

Dean Johnson added eight points and 10 rebounds, but Monte Vista turned the ball over 19 times.

“We had to capitalize on all their mistakes,” Gilley said.

Maybe not all, but the Wildcats capitalized enough to advance to Wednesday’s semifinal against the winner of tonight’s San Pasqual-Crawford game.

El Camino (20-6) tied San Pasqual for first in the Avocado League. The Eagles are the only team to defeat El Camino in its gym in five years.