Spencer Thomas scored 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds while Kyle Leonard chipped in 14 points, but the short-handed Santa Barbara Dons boys basketball team fell to Camarillo 66-50 Wednesday in the Simi Valley Tournament.
The Dons’ roster is depleted due to nagging football injuries, temporarily leaving the team without Oregon State-bound star Roberto Nelson and power forward Bryson Lloyd. Coach Chris Hantgin currently has four JV players pulled up to his team, and will only have six players available for Thursday’s matchup against Dos Pueblos in the tournament’s third day of action.
“We competed pretty much the whole game, but the third quarter has been tough for us,” said Hantgin. The Dons were outscored 27-13 in the period after battling to a 20-20 tie at the half.
Hantgin is anticipating the return of Nelson, Lloyd and others shortly so that the entire team can get down to business. The coach said he’s hoping to raise Nelson’s scoring average to around 30 points per game this season.
“Right now we’re a team without an identity, but I’m hoping to get the roster rounded out and for everybody to get healthy soon,” he said.
CAMARILLO 66, SANTA BARBARA 50
Santa Barbara…8 12 13 17 — 50
Camarillo………8 12 27 19 — 66
SB—Thomas 22, Leonard 14, Nahmias 6, Aronson 4, Marshall 2, Adams 2.
