Santa Barbara High boys basketball got off to a dominant start to their 2024 campaign, cruising to an 84-46 victory over Arroyo Grande inside JR Richards Gym on Monday.
“I was very proud of how hard we all played tonight – players 1 through 15,” Dons coach Greg Zuffelato said. “This great start is from countless hours of practice and games over the past eight months.
“In all my years of coaching, I’ve never been around a harder-working, dedicated group of athletes. This team is special.”
The Dons’ offense asserted its dominance from the jump, as a Carter Battle dunk kickstarted a 30-point first quarter that was full of fast break buckets.
Meanwhile, the Santa Barbara High defense did its part and held the Eagles to 14 first-quarter points.
From there, the Dons continued to get the job done on both ends of the floor, collecting turnovers and flipping them immediately into transition points.
Santa Barbara High put the game on ice in the third quarter, outscoring Arroyo Grande 21-6 thanks in part to a 12-point quarter by Diesel Lowe, who led all scorers with 20 points in the win.
While Lowe handled the bulk of the scoring, Luke Zuffelato stuffed the stat sheet in the season opener with a triple-double of 15 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists.
Meanwhile, Battle had a strong all-around night of his own with 12 points and five steals.
The Dons (1-0) will host Oaks Christian next Monday inside JR Richards Gym at 7 p.m.