A fourth-quarter comeback by the Santa Barbara High boys basketball team fell short, as the Dons dropped a 74-69 decision to Royal on Tuesday night at J.R. Richards Gym.
Down by eight points, Santa Barbara got as close as three before Royal held on in the last two minutes.
“We need to bring the same fourth-quarter intensity we had in the first part of games and we’ll be fine,” said coach Corey Adam.
The Dons fell behind early and trailed 31-23 at halftime.
“We have come out flat the last few games, which has cost us. As coaches, we need to figure that out,” said Adam.
The Dons (2-2)had a rough night at the free-throw line (14 of 23) and shot under 30% on three-pointers.
Luke Zuffelato scored 24 points to lead Santa Barbara, while Ford Harman had 12 points and Tobin Shyrock 10.
Adam praised the play of Owen Debusk who was returning from an injury.