HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Vista’s Accurate Shooters Cut Sixth-Ranked Mt. Carmel Down to Size

Vista made short work of sixth-ranked Mt. Carmel on Friday night.

With no one over 6-feet-2 in their lineup, the Panthers earned a 75-65 Palomar League victory. The visiting Sundevils (8-5, 1-1) suited up six players taller than 6-2, but the intense effort on both ends of the court by diminutive Vista players who shuttled in and out of the lineup with regularity made the difference.

The victory served notice that the Panthers (8-5, 2-0) aren’t intimidated by the giants; although they were outrebounded, 51-28, they forced 22 Mt. Carmel turnOvers while committing only 12. Mt. Carmel is one of three Palomar teams ranked in the top 10.

“We felt that if we shoot well, we win,” said Vista Coach Greg Lanthier, who beat his old high school coach, John Marincovich. “If we don’t shoot well, we still have a chance. Tonight we shot well enough to win; we’ve shot better.”

Six players combined to make 11 three-point shots, and three consecutive moon shots midway through the second half put Mt. Carmel away.

Ahead 54-44, Jason Barnes (27 points) and Nils Michals (14) extended the lead to 16, and two minutes into the fourth quarter, Dave Dillon (seven points) hit another one.

Shane Jager, bothered by foul trouble, scored 10, and sophomore guard Caleb Ashley--though he scored no points--got the Panthers running.

Vista took an eight-point lead in the first quarter on the strength of four three-point baskets; Mt. Carmel pulled to within four points early in the second quarter, but a 10-3 run--sparked by Kyle Duport’s three-pointer--gave Vista an 11-point lead that shrunk to seven points just once, and never got to single digits over the final 12 minutes of the game.

“People have this misconception about our system,” Lanthier said. “To ask a kid to make a decision at this fast a pace is more difficult than asking him to set up and run an offense.”

Which is exactly what Vista prevented Mt. Carmel from doing. Jason Sammons led Mt. Carmel with 20 points and 13 rebounds; he got support from Scott Schoenwald (17 points, 14 rebounds) and Robert Treahy, who scored eight points and had 14 rebounds before leaving with an ankle injury late in the fourth quarter.