Dons challenged, keep unbeaten streak alive

Spotting West Ranch 11 points, Santa Barbara High’s girls basketball team still did enough down the stretch to win the game 56-48 and take third place in the Gold Coast Tournament.

The Dons fell behind 11-0 right from the start and climbed back in the game by halftime. But then they fell behind again in the second half and trailed by as many as 11 again.

“We were fortunate to make some big plays down the stretch,” said Dons head coach Andrew Butcher.

Santa Barbara’s Sylvia Hoover was named all-tournament for the Dons, who improved to 7-0 while experiencing their most competitive game of the year so far.

Ivette Gil poured in a tournament-best 27 points and averaged 23.5 per game over four games.

The 7-0 Dons play again on Tuesday at Camarillo.