Providence boys basketball clinched the Condor League title with a 45-19 win over Besant Hill on Wednesday.
The dominant victory capped off an impressive 6-0 league season for the Patriots.
“Although we had a couple of starters out sick for the past week, we had some players really step up and contribute a lot today towards finishing our undefeated league season,” Providence head coach Micah Ruiz said.
“We had a goal before the season began to win the league and I’m proud of these young men for taking care of business.”
Ben Rupnow led all scorers with 14 points and six rebounds while Sam Oliynyk contributed 13 points and six rebounds of his own.
Chris Van Wyk was all over the court in the win, collecting nine points, six steals and five assists.
The Patriots will take on Laguna Blanca for Senior Day inside San Marcos’ Thunderhut on Saturday.
Santa Clara 51, Bishop Diego 49
The Cardinals dropped a heartbreaker at the buzzer to Santa Clara on Wednesday in Oxnard.
After Bishop Diego held a sizable advantage for the majority of the game, the Cardinals held onto a 41-35 lead heading into the fourth.
The Saints continued to battle back and took their first lead of the night at 48-46 with 2:30 left on the clock.
Bishop Diego then got a basket and the two sides exchanged free throws to make it 49-49 before the Cardinals missed a three-pointer with less than a minute remaining.
“I was calling for us to get a 2-for-1 opportunity so whether they made a shot or not, we would have the last possession but we took too long to get a shot off,” Cardinals head coach James Coronado said.
On the ensuing possession, Santa Clara’s JJ Ward took the inbound and knocked down an 18-foot runner to give his squad the victory.
“Our plan was to double him because we knew he was going to take the last shot, we just didn’t get to him soon enough,” Coronado said.
While Ward led all scorers with 25 points, Damien Krautmann paced the Bishop Diego attack with 18 points.
The Cardinals will now await their CIF-SS playoff fate with pairings releasing on Saturday, Feb. 8.
Santa Ynez 58, Dunn 47
The Pirates earned an 11-point win over their crosstown rival Earwigs on Wednesday.
Santa Ynez got out to a fast start, leading 17-8 after the first quarter. The Pirates then fended off any Dunn comeback effort to hold on for the 11-point win.
Jude Pritchard led Santa Ynez with 16 points to go along with seven rebounds while Ikenna Ofiaeli tallied a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds.
Mason Skidmore and Luke Gianis each reached double figures as well with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Despite the loss, Dunn’s Theo Anderson had a monster individual performance to the tune of 28 points and a whopping 30 rebounds.
Channel Islands 75, Carpinteria High 54
The Warriors fell to league-leading Channel Islands on Thursday on Senior Night.
“Tonight was a celebration for our accomplished group of seniors,” Carpinteria High head coach Karl Fredrickson said. “It was nice to applaud their years of hard work and commitment.
“It’s bittersweet to see these chapters come to a close but I’m proud of each of our boys. They’ve had a tremendous impact on this program and our community.”
The Raiders got out to a strong start and pulled away for a 19-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. They retained their 12-point lead heading into halftime as well as they led 29-17.
The Warriors came out of the break strong with back-to-back buckets, but Channel Islands quickly found its footing and exploded for 29 points in the third to extend the lead to 58-34.
Carpinteria continued to fight in the fourth quarter but ultimately fell by a score of 75-54.
“Tonight was a proper basketball game,” Fredrickson said. “The scoreboard didn’t finish in our favor but greater victories were fought for tonight. I saw full intensity, camaraderie, belief, Warrior spirit.
“The integrity of this group has brought about a culture shift for Carpinteria basketball, and it’s fun just to bear witness.”
The senior trio of Aiden Alcaraz, Sebastian Reed and Sawyer Kelly led the Warrior scoring attack with 17, 13 and 12 points, respectively.
Carpinteria (10-11) will be on the road against Santa Paula on Friday at 7 p.m.
St. Bonaventure 83, Cate 58
The Rams dropped a Tri-Valley League matchup to the undefeated Seraphs on Wednesday.
“The loss to the Seraphs doesn’t define our season, but it was a clear reminder of the strength and depth of St. Bonaventure, and more importantly, it showcased the heart of the Rams,” Cate head coach Casey Ortiz said. “We are proud of their effort and resolve in a challenging game.”
St. Bonaventure began the night with a 27-point first quarter and never looked back, using a 21-11 scoring margin in the third to pull away from Cate for good.
Marcus Scudder led the Rams with a game-high 24 points, including 10 in the second quarter.
The Rams will host Dunn on Friday for the final league game of the season. If Cate comes out on top, it will finish in second place in the Tri-Valley League. A loss would result in a tie for third.
Girls Basketball
Carpinteria High girls basketball remained in the playoff hunt with a 52-44 win over Malibu on the road on Wednesday.
With the win, the Warriors improved to 9-8 overall and 5-4 in Citrus Coast League play.
“I was happy with our approach, focus and energy throughout the game,” Carpinteria High head coach Henry Gonzales said. “It was a good team victory with several of our players contributing.”
Carpinteria jumped out to a 9-0 lead to begin the game before the Sharks found their footing and cut the deficit to 16-12 at the end of the first.
The Warriors found more success in the second and third quarters, expanding the lead to 46-33 heading into the fourth.
Malibu made a late push in the final quarter, but Carpinteria held on to secure the eight-point win.
The duo of Charlotte Cooney and Jamaica Cook once again led the scoring effort with 20 and 19 points, respectively. Meanwhile, Penny Wrought had a strong defensive game and hauled in eight rebounds.
Providence 24, Besant Hill 19
The Patriots came away with a 24-19 win over Besant Hill on the road on Wednesday.
“We had a rough start and a couple of girls who were either sick or injured, but freshman forward Lydia Linton filled the gap and then some, having her highest scoring game of the season,” Providence head coach Chris Van Wyk said.
Linton had a big day on the boards and led all scorers with 15 points in the victory.