Angel Lopez scored 12 points in his first varsity game on Tuesday.
Santa Barbara High’s boys basketball team dropped its season opener on Tuesday, getting knocked down 54-51 by Oxnard at J.R. Richards Gym.
The Dons took a five-point lead into the fourth quarter but allowed the Yellowjackets to come from behind to grab the win. Matt Ramon led Oxnard with 20 points.
Daniel Marshall scored a team-high 15 for Santa Barbara. Angel Lopez added 12 points, reaching double digits in his first varsity game. Another first-time varsity player, sophomore Emilio Gonzalez, scored six points and received praise from the coaching staff for his passing and role in beating the press. Andy Busch led the team in rebounding.
A win in their first game would have been especially uplifting for the Dons, considering they were 1-25 last season. On top of that, Oxnard was one of those losses, handing the Dons a 78-28 whipping.
“We’re still a young team coming off a 1-25 season,” explained Dons assistant coach John Slavin. “It was encouraging. It’s more inexperience than anything.”
Santa Barbara plays again next Monday at against Saugus.
