Rebecca Griffin scored 23 points and snagged six steals on Saturday night as the Santa Barbara girls basketball team got off on the right foot in its own tournament with a 53-37 win over Sacred Heart.
The Gators hit four treys in the first quarter and things were knotted up at 17-17 heading into the second. Tess Emerson, who finished with 11 points and 11 boards, hit a jumper and then went coast-to-coast for a lay-up after a steal to send the Dons into halftime up 28-24.
Santa Barbara, however, dominated the third quarter 14-6. Coach Andrew Butcher said that his team’s transition out of its full-court press made the difference.
“In the first half we pressed and we didn’t match up out of it. They hit five threes, and out of all those shots I don’t think there was anyone within 10 feet of them,” he said. “In the second half we did a better job. We pressed and were able to match up and not give them any easy shots.”
Jackie Kerns had a season-high 13 points in the game and added seven rebounds. Riley Lloyd pulled down seven boards while also nailing a jumper in the middle of the third quarter. Sylvia Hoover-Purter didn’t have a big night statistically, but Butcher praised her mistake-free execution.
The Dons (7-2) play Morro Bay at 5:45 p.m. Monday at J.R. Richards Gym.
SANTA BARBARA 53, SACRED HEART 37
SACRED HEART — Gannon 7, Suzuki 2, Heslin 1, Sheridan 15, Kruberg 1, Holland 9, Bocci 2. Totals 14 3-9 37.
SANTA BARBARA — Griffin 23, Kerns 13, Emerson 11, Gil 4, Lloyd 2, Echternacht 2. Totals 19 16-25 53.
Sacred Hart…17 7 6 7 — 37
Santa Barbara…17 11 14 11 — 53
3-point goals — SH 6 (Gannon 2, Holland 3, Sheridan 1), SB 1 (Griffin). Total fouls — SH 19, SB 13.
