Santa Fe Christian finished one of the best weeks of the season Friday, bolting to a 10-point first-quarter lead and beating Maranatha Christian 64-43.
It was the third Coastal League win of the week for No. 7-ranked SFC (18-4, 3-0), which also beat Francis Parker 63-56 and La Jolla Country Day 58-56.
“We really only have a handful of regular-season games left, so it’s a good time to be playing well,” SFC coach Matt Carlino said. “Our league (which also includes Bishop’s) is tough. But we played a good nonleague schedule, got tested.
“We played really good defense. I mean really good defense.”
Informed that his team forced 18 turnovers, Carlino said “The guys are buying into what we’re teaching.
“It’s a special group.”
It’s a group that includes leading scorer Dax Hall and Jaden Hitipeuw.
Hall, who scored 15 with seven rebounds Friday, was an all-league player last season.
“We had a couple of tough losses early, but to get off to a 3-0 start in league is huge.”
“And Jaden has fit in really well. It was a little tough at first, getting to know how we play defense. But he has fit in really well. And we’re great friends off the court.”
Hitipeuw is from Austria and drives to SFC every day from Alpine.
A junior who jumps well, runs the floor and is a talented passer, Hitipeuw led all scorers with 17 points and had seven rebounds. He came to the United States seeking an opportunity to play in college.
“I played six years of basketball in Europe,” Hitipeuw said. “I spent the last two years at an academy in Spain.
“I’m playing as a forward here, but I pass well because I have always been a guard, a playmaker.”
SFC, a Division 1 team, also has wins over La Costa Canyon, El Camino and No. 4 Mission Bay (56-49).
One of the four losses was to No. 1 Montgomery (94-66).
Carlino said the one loss that haunts him was in a tournament to Los Angeles Loyola.
“We’ve played some really good teams, gained a lot of experience,” Hall said. “Honestly, I think the sky’s the limit for this team.”
Coen Sponsel added nine points for SFC, all on 3-pointers.
Maranatha Christian (11-9, 1-1), a Division 3 team, was led by Ryan Ownbey’s 14 points. He scored 10 in the fourth quarter alone.
Will Ralston added 11 points while Shane Piester had six points and led all rebounders with 12.
Of the 13 players on SFC’s roster 10 are sophomores or juniors.
Read it here in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
