Santa Barbara High boys basketball secured its third consecutive Channel League title with a 71-46 rout of Rio Mesa on Monday at J.R. Richards Gym.
The Dons end the regular season with an overall record of 19-8 and a league mark of 13-1. The CIF-SS playoff pairings will be released on Saturday at noon.
Monday’s matchup was a back-and-forth affair early as Santa Barbara held a slim 18-15 after one quarter.
However, the Dons then buckled down and stifled the Spartan offense, holding them to 11 or fewer points in the final three quarters as the team pulled away for the win.
The duo of Blake Lee and Levi Oakes led the Santa Barbara High offense with 13 points apiece.
“Rio Mesa is a scrappy team, and they challenged us early. I was proud of the way we responded, and I was very impressed with Blake Lee’s effort on defense and his rebounding. He did a tremendous job leading by example and giving his all,” Santa Barbara High head coach Greg Zuffelato said.
San Marcos 67, Pacifica 46
The Royals celebrated Senior Night with a win over the Tritons in Monday’s regular-season finale on Monday inside the Thunderhut.
“What an unbelievable night,” San Marcos head coach Matt Jordan said. “Such an emotional night and we got to celebrate an incredible group of seniors.
“I’m eternally grateful to this group. Logan Patterson, Koji Hefner, Lincoln Gengo, Brody Green, Oliver Werkhoven, Jacob Wallace, Henry Early. I love you guys. Thank you for an amazing season together. I’m excited to try and go make a CIF run with this group.”
Aidan Conlan led the Royals with 18 points, and he was followed by Koji Hefner (14), Brody Green (10), Sergio Landeros (10) and Lincoln Gengo (9).
“I can’t say enough about our senior class. Oliver Werkhoven, Logan Patterson, and Jacob Wallace started the game and played unbelievable defense, helping us get out to a 7-3 lead,” Jordan said.
“Our team was incredibly connected tonight, and everyone was rooting for each other. It was seriously about as special a senior night as I’ve ever been around. I love this team so much. They’ve given just as much to me as I have to them.”
San Marcos will now await its CIF-SS playoff pairing on Saturday.
Dos Pueblos 59, Buena 56
The Chargers capped off their season with a three-point victory over the Bulldogs on Monday night inside Sovine Gym.
“This year the guys faced a lot of adversity and unexpected injuries,” Dos Pueblos head coach Joe Zamora said. “I was very proud of the fact that they never used this as an excuse and every single game they came out and battled.
“I will miss the senior class and everything they gave us as role models and leaders in the program. They are true reflections of their parents and families. They made me a better coach, and I was blessed by having them in our program.”
Dos Pueblos got out to a fast start on both ends, building up a 21-9 lead by the end of the first quarter.
However, Buena bounced back and outscored the Chargers in the next two quarters to tie the game up at 47-47 with one quarter to play.
The Dos Pueblos defense then stepped up when the team needed it most, allowing just seven points in the fourth to secure the win.
Evan Pinsker dropped a team-high 21 points, while Coulter Jay and Logan Pearce ended with 14 and 13 points, respectively.
“Tonight we really came out fast and executed well on both ends of the court,” Zamora said. “Evan set the tone for us, and the rest of the guys were able to be successful because of his decision-making.”
The Chargers wrap up their season with an overall record of 12-15 and a 3-10 mark against league opponents.
Legacy Christian 49, Bishop Diego 46
The Cardinals narrowly fell to a strong Legacy Christian team in a non-league matchup on Monday.
“It was a tough night offensively for both teams, but defensively I felt like we played great,” Bishop Diego head coach Caleb Richey said. “I love how we’re competing and I feel really good about next week as we get prepared for the playoffs.”
It was a defensive battle throughout, as the Cardinals held onto a slim 19-18 lead at halftime before Legacy Christian completed the comeback.
Shane Kwizera paced the Bishop Diego attack with 14 points, while Crew Sjovold tallied 11 points and Damien Krautmann ended with 10.