Santa Barbara High’s girls basketball nearly overcame a poor shooting night to get a CIF playoff victory on the road on Saturday, falling short at Irvine by a score of 56-53 in Division III-A’s second round.
Irvine’s Kristan Liddle, with 25 points, got the best of Santa Barbara’s Rebecca Griffin, who had 21 points in her final high school game.
The game was tied 41-41 after three periods and again with just over a minute to go but the Vaqueros were able to score the game’s final three points.
“It was a pretty good game,” said Dons head coach Andrew Butcher, who blamed some late offensive rebounds for giving Irvine the edge. “They were a good team, we were a good team.”
Jackie Kerns scored 10 points on 4-for-8 shooting while pulling down a team-high 14 rebounds. Tess Emerson also had a double-double, tallying 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Santa Barbara wraps up its season with a 21-7 record and enjoyed victories over Buena and Ventura in its Channel League season.
“This season we progressed and we went from being a highly mediocre team to a highly competetive team. It was really rewarding and fun to see,” Butcher said.
Butcher will lose six seniors to graduation but returns five, including regulars Kerns, Emerson and Ivette Gil.
IRVINE 56, SANTA BARBARA 53
SANTA BARBARA – Gil 5, Lloyd 4, Griffin 21, Emerson 11, Pereyra 2, Kerns 10. Totals – 20 FG, 10-14 FT, 53.
IRVINE – Kila 3, Liddle 25, Thawley 8, Ballard 11, O’Donnell 9. Totals – 19 fg, 13-17 FT, 56.
Santa Barbara 14 10 17 12 – 53
Irvine 12 18 11 15 – 56
3-ptrs – SB 3 (Griffin 3), I 5 (Ballard 3, Liddell, Kila). Total Fouls – SB 14, I 14. Fouled Out – Emerson.
