Santa Barbara High boys basketball fell to Redondo Union, 89-54, in the opening game of the Real Run Winter Classic on Friday in Inglewood.
Despite Redondo Union being currently ranked No. 15 in the nation, the Dons put up a strong fight throughout the matchup.
“I scheduled some of the best teams in the country this year because, with our very young team, I wanted our guys to know what it takes to be the best. Tonight was a major step forward,” Santa Barbara High head coach Greg Zuffelato said.
The Dons got out to a strong start, holding a 10-5 lead halfway through the opening quarter. Redondo Union then found its groove late in the first to take a 22-17 lead into the second.
The two teams continued to battle back-and-forth for most of the second, but Redondo Union ended the quarter on a 16-3 run to take a commanding lead into halftime.
From there, Redondo Union fended off any Santa Barbara High comeback efforts to secure the win.
Brent Sharpton paced the Dons’ offense with 16 points, including a trio of big three-pointers in the first half. Levi Oakes and Mikah Narva each turned in strong performances as well with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Santa Barbara High will continue the weekend against Wiseburn-DaVinci on Saturday at 3 p.m. at St. Bernard High.