Santa Barbara High dominated the middle stages of the game to earn a 65-43 win over local foe Bishop Diego in the SB Holiday Classic on Monday inside J.R. Richards Gym.
“It was a great community event with fans from both sides filling the gym,” Santa Barbara High head coach Greg Zuffelato said.
The first quarter was a back-and-forth battle as the Dons jumped out to a 5-0 lead, but the Cardinals fought back to bring the game to a 13-13 tie heading into the second.
“The end of the first quarter was a wake-up call because Bishop Diego outworked us in the first quarter, and if we didn’t start playing defense the way we know how, this was going to be a very long night,” Zuffelato said.
Santa Barbara High’s defense responded in the second, holding the Cardinals to just two points in the quarter to pull away for a 28-15 halftime advantage.
The Dons carried that momentum over to the third, but this dominated on the offensive end. Santa Barbara poured in 24 points in the quarter and held a commanding 52-26 lead with one quarter to go.
The Cardinals continued to fight in the fourth, outscoring the Dons 17-13. However, Santa Barbara came away with the comfortable victory.
“I was so proud of how we responded in the second quarter,” Zuffelato said. “We’ve improved our half-court defense tremendously over the past few games, and tonight we demonstrated how far we’ve come.
“To hold a very talented Bishop Diego team to 43 points was our best defensive effort of the year. Coach Hangtin’s work on the defensive end has turned our season around.”
Levi Oakes was at the center of the offensive attack for the Dons, leading the team with 23 points while handling the Cardinals’ full-court press. Brent Sharpton followed with 17 points of his own.
As for the Cardinals, Shane Kwizera led the way with 16 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, while Damien Krautmann chipped in 12 points.
Santa Barbara High, now 3-0 in the Holiday Classic, will host Oakland Tech on Tuesday at 3 p.m. Meanwhile, Bishop Diego will clash with Davis Sr. at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday at J.R. Richards Gym.
Dos Pueblos 51, Pinole Valley 47
The Chargers pulled off a second-half comeback for a win over Pinole Valley on Monday inside Sovine Gym.
Pinole Valley dominated the opening half of play, holding a 12-11 lead after the first before erupting in the second quarter to take a 33-16 lead into halftime.
“We really struggled in the first half, and Pinole Valley hit their shots and defended us very well,” Dos Pueblos head coach Joe Zamora.
The Chargers came roaring back out of the break, outscoring Pinole Valley 17-6 in the third quarter to cut the deficit down to 39-33.
They continued to roll in the fourth quarter, taking command on both ends of the court down the stretch to pull out the 51-47 victory.
“At halftime, we were able to make some adjustments on the defensive end, and we did a great job executing on the offensive end,” Zamora said.
Evan Pinsker facilitated the offense and paced the team with 24 points to go along with five assists. Coulter Jay made an impact on both ends with 10 points and strong paint defense as well.
Meanwhile, Jordan Caratachea and Caleb Damron each made clutch plays in the second half to contribute to the comeback.
The Chargers’ final game of the tournament will come against Saratoga on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. inside Sovine Gym.
Oakland Tech 70, San Marcos 59
The Royals fell to a strong Oakland Tech team on Monday inside the Thunderhut.
San Marcos held a six-point halftime lead, but a string of plays in the third quarter allowed Oakland Tech to take a one-point lead into the fourth.
The two teams battled down the stretch, but Oakland Tech held onto the lead late and secured the win.
“Even though we lost, I thought through three quarters we played maybe our best basketball of the season,” San Marcos head coach Matt Jordan said. They’re an incredibly talented team and we battled to the very last minute. The game was closer than the final score indicates, in my opinion.
“We are learning that in big games versus great teams, all the little stuff matters. Box outs, loose balls, and turnovers ended up being the difference tonight.”
Aidan Conlan dropped a team-high 24 points for the Royals, while Koji Hefner and Sergio Landeros reached double figures with 13 and 12 points, respectively.
“I’m proud of the way we fought,” Jordan said. “We have a really special group, and we’ve played a tremendously difficult non-league schedule that hopefully will translate into toughness and big-time wins down the stretch of the season.
“Aidan Conlan shot it super well tonight, but I really thought Brody Green and Koji Hefner were the only reasons we even had a chance to win the game. Their toughness and ability to get downhill were why we had a lead in the first place. Tough loss, but that’s a really good team, and we are not hanging our heads after that one.”
San Marcos will cap off the Holiday Classic by hosting Granada Hills on Tuesday at 3 p.m.