Yorba Linda came down hard on Santa Barbara High in the first round of the Tournament of Champions, posting a 66-41 victory in a Gold Division game on the Dons’ home court.
“They were big and strong and really pushed us around,” said Dons head coach Andrew Butcher. “If you’re not big, you have to overcome it with positioning and we’re not there yet.”
Yorba Linda limited Santa Barbara to 32 percent shooting as a team but Melissa Lemus (14) and Ivette Gil (12) still reached double figures.
Santa Barbara had won seven of their first eight games without a big frontcourt but were exposed on Tuesday. It doesn’t get any easier for Santa Barbara on Wednesday in a game against the No. 1 team in the Southern Section’s Division 3-AAA, Bonita.
That game is at 4 p.m. at Santa Barbara High.
“We’re back in the fire tomorrow,” Butcher said.
