Santa Barbara used a zone defense to shut down a hot-shooting Kennedy and pulled out a 47-41 girls basketball win in a CIF Division 2A first-round playoff game Thursday night in La Palma.
The Dons overcame 23 turnovers to earn a second-round home game against Segerstrom on Saturday night.
“It was looking bleak,” Santa Barbara coach Andy Butcher said.
Trailing 30-26 at halftime, the Dons switched their defense from a diamond-and-one against Kennedy’s Aikane HIga to a 2-3 zone.
“We went to a 2-3 zone and we took everything away,” Butcher said.
In the first half, the Dons contained Higa, “but their other kids were lighting it up with threes,” said Butcher.
Higa was held to two points in the first half and finished with seven points.
Kennedy (16-11) scored only two points in the third quarter and 12 in the second half.
Ivette Gil scored 16 points and Tess Emerson had 15 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Dons (18-9). Riley Lloyd added eight points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals.
