San Marcos girls basketball tipped off the Bryan Ayers Tournament in Lompoc with a 35-31 win over Santa Ynez High on Thursday.
After an evenly-matched opening quarter, the Royals pulled away in the second thanks to their defense holding the Pirates to just four points.
However, Santa Ynez came roaring back in the second half and tied the game up in the fourth quarter.
San Marcos answered back with strong stops on the defensive end and big plays from Jada Ahmad down the stretch to pull away for the victory.
“It was a grind it out and find a way to win kind of game,” Royals coach Devin Uyesaka said. “We were able to put some stops together on defense and get some big boards at the end of the game.
“Santa Ynez did a really good job rebounding tonight. We were really fortunate we caught them on an off night.”
Ahmad led all scorers with 16 points to secure the win for San Marcos. Meanwhile, Santa Ynez’s Helina Pecile collected 12 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks in the loss.
The Royals will take on Orcutt Academy on Friday while the Pirates have a matchup with Santa Barbara High.
Carpinteria High 51, Fillmore 19
The Warriors opened up Citrus Coast League play with a dominant 51-19 win over Fillmore on Thursday.
“I was happy with our overall effort and focus,” Carpinteria High coach Henry Gonzales said. “It was a good bounce back from the Santa Maria game.”
The Warrior defense set the tone early, holding the Flashes to just six points in the first quarter before extending the lead out to 20-12 by halftime.
Carpinteria continued to pull away in the second half, extending its lead to 14 points going into the fourth quarter. Then, the Warrior defense stepped up once again and held Fillmore scoreless to turn the game into a 51-19 blowout.
Charlotte Cooney poured in 24 points to lead all scorers while Jamaica Cook ended the night with 18.
The Warriors (3-1, 1-0 CCL) will play in a doubleheader against Paraclete and Thacher on Saturday.
Orcutt 56, Santa Barbara 15 (Bryan Ayers Tournament)
The Dons opened their tournament with a 56-15 loss to Orcutt Academy on Thursday.
The Spartans took advantage of several turnovers early and pulled away with a comfortable lead by halftime.
The Dons came out with some momentum and found more success in the second half, but it was too little, too late in the eventual defeat.
Santa Barbara High will continue its tournament run against Santa Ynez on Friday at 5:30 p.m.
Thousand Oaks 71, Bishop Diego 24 (Bird Cage Classic)
The Cardinals dropped their second game in as many days to Thousand Oaks on Thursday in the Brick House.
The Coronado sisters combined for the majority of the Bishop Diego scoring as Jaymi tallied 10 points and Jeisa ended with nine points.
The game was tight in the first quarter, as Thousand Oaks held onto an 18-13 lead heading into the second. However, the Cardinals were outscored 53-11 in the final three quarters of the game.
“Thousand Oaks played at a pace we are not accustomed to,” Bishop Diego coach Jeff Burich said. “I was proud of our effort and how we competed. Luz Castro was amazing on the rebounds for her size. She played a great game for us tonight. We will learn from this and it will make us better.”
The Cardinals (3-4) will take on Holy Martyrs on Friday at 7 p.m.
Santa Clara 62, Providence 18
The Patriots kicked off their first season since 2019 with a road loss to Santa Clara.
Lydia Linton led Providence with a double-double, recording 12 points and 10 rebounds.
“Santa Clara was well coached and their team should be proud of their performance tonight.,” Patriots coach Chris Van Wyk said. “On our side of the ledger, Lydia Linton dominated with a double-double in her first game, and overall a solid and resilient effort was given by the entire Patriot squad.”
Providence (0-1) will host Besant Hill on Saturday at The Club’s Gym at 2 p.m.