Santa Barbara’s Elle Stone scored 33 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Dons to a 51-36 Channel League win over host Santa Ynez Friday.
The Dons ran up a 20-12 lead after one quarter, and the teams played even in the next two quarters before Santa Barbara pulled away in the final frame.
“A strong first quarter, then we just kind of got through the rest of the game,” Santa Barbara coach Andrew Butcher said. “We were trying to clean some things up. By the end of the game our rebounding started to get a little better.”
Lauren Robles added 11 points for Santa Barbara, and Dayzia Mendoza also had 10 rebounds.
Santa Ynez was led by 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks from Giszelle Hrehor. Riley Vannasap added eight points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals.
“The girls played tough the entire game, holding their lead to under 10 until the fourth quarter,” Pirates coach Jennifer Rasmussen said. “Our passing improved and the girls played as a team.
“Going into the third quarter down by eight, 20-28, was a solid place to be. We missed a few key situations and lost focus. Santa Barbara played tough the entire game.
Santa Ynez hosts Dos Pueblos Saturday, and Santa Barbara hosts San Marcos.