Down by one with 1.6 seconds remaining at Ventura, Santa Barbara High needed a miracle to finish in second place in the Channel League.
Sophomore Aiden Douglas gave them just that, knocking down a three-pointer to lift the Dons to a 55-53 victory and give them momentum going into next week’s CIF Division 1AA playoffs.
Santa Barbara finishes 5-3 in league, tied with San Marcos, and 16-11 overall.
Douglas led the way for the Dons with 13 points, while Ben Brown and Jackson Hamilton each added 12. Brown was playing on an injured toe and was recovering from an illness.
“Ben is a gamer and a tough kid,” said Santa Barbara assistant coach Joe Bregante, who added that Morgan Peus was unable to play due to an injured ankle.
Jeremiah Nicholson made it possible for Douglas to get the opportunity to win the game, twice grabbing offensive rebounds in the final seconds.
“This was another really good Channel League victory for us, especially due to the fact that we are banged up and struggled offensively at times,” said assistant coach Joe Bregante. “A lot of players stepped up and made big plays for us.”
Four of the Dons five Channel League victories came by two points or less.
The Dons await CIF playoff pairings, which will be announced Sunday.
— Noozhawk sports reporter Christian Eckert can be reached at ceckert@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @NoozhawkSports and @noozhawk. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.