Sylvia Hoover played a standout game at point guard to lead Santa Barbara to a 58-43 win over visiting Segerstrom in a CIF Division 2A second-round girls basketball playoff game Saturday night at J.R. Richards Gym.
“That was probably her best game of the year,” Santa Barbara coach Andrew Butcher said.
Hoover scored eight points and had four assists, but more importantly, she stayed in control and did a good job distributing the ball.
“Tonight she beat the pressure, slowed up and made really good decisions,” said Butcher. “If your point guard can do that, you’re going to be really effective.”
Hoover’s controlled play helped the Dons’ offense run smoother.
“We’ve been working hard in practice, trying to get everything together and making stuff work,” she said. “I’m much more of a passer than a shooter. The coaches want me to start shooting more. I ‘ve been trying to do both. I lke to get my teammates open.”
Hoover’s smart decision making helped the Dons have a balanced attack. Tess Emerson led the team with 14 points, Gil scored 13, Riley Lloyd added nine and Desirea Coleman came off the bench to tally nine points and four assists.
Nicole Sakamoto led Segerstrom with 19 points, 15 coming on NBA-range 3-pointers.
“We didn’t know she’d shoot that far,” Butcher said. “The first six (points) were kind of gifts. After that she worked pretty hard.”
Once the Dons tightened their defense on Sakamoto, they took control of the game.
They went on a 13-4 run to start the second quarter to build a 26-12 lead.
A Santa Barbara cold spell allowed the Jaguars to cut the lead to 26-19 at halftime.
A trey by Sakamoto and a two-point basket by A.J. Dizon pulled them to 30-28 with 5:34 left in the third quarter.
The Dons regrouped after a timeout and regain momentum. They scored nine straight points and finished the third period with a 39-32 lead.
Lloyd scored back-to-back buckets midway through the fourth quarter to give the Dons a comfortable 14-point lead, 49-35.
“We communited better on defense and offense, made good shots and made good decisions, that’s what won the game for us,” said Lloyd.
Santa Barbara (19-9) advances to the quarterfinals. The Dons will play host to fourth-seeded Indio (25-2) on Wednesday night.
