Santa Barbara faced one of the hottest teams in the CIF-Southern Section, and the Dons were scorched by Ventura, 64-19, in a Channel League boys basketball game Friday night.
The win was the 13th straight for the Cougars, who improved to 15-1 overall and 3-0 in league play.
“They’re experienced, they have a lot of guys who play year round and they have several multiple-year varsity players,” said Santa Barbara coach Chris Hantgin of his alma mater.
Jared Wilson got Ventura going in the first quarter, scoring 10 of his 16 points, as the Cougars roared to an 18-2 lead. It was 30-9 at halftime.
The Dons struggled to get into an offensive rhythm against a tough Ventura defense.
“Their half-court defense was impressive, and we struggled to get good shots,” Hantgin said. “They were able to keep us away from the basket.”
The Cougars had 16 steals, many of which led to easy baskets. They shot 30-of-54 and had 13 players score.
Sam Cohen led Santa Barbara (2-14, 0-3) in scoring with six points.
