GAME INTRO: The two Channel League rivals meet again. The first clash went to double overtime at SBCC’s Sports Pavilion with the Dons prevailing 73-71.
Thayer White led all scorers with 29 points, while Emilio Gonzalez led Santa Barbara with 23 in a winning effort.
Since then, Santa Barbara has been able to hold on to second place in league play with a 4-2 record. San Marcos is 3-3 in Channel League play.
This is the second of three games between the two schools this season. For video highlights from the first game, CLICK HERE
GAME OVER: The Dons hold on for the 40-38 Channel League victory. San Marcos made it to the free throw line in the final seconds but the first free throw of a 1-and-1 missed. Santa Barbara rebounded and was fouled with 0.8 seconds to go. Game story and video coming soon from Presidio Sports.
44.8 SECONDS REMAINING – Chad Ridenour’s super-long 3-pointer has San Marcos right on the Dons’ heels at 40-38. Here we go again. The Dons led 40-30 until the Royals stepped it up and forced their way back into the game.
3:43 REMAINING: Santa Barbara is doing a good job of scoring when they need to and keeping San Marcos at arm’s length. The score is 38-29 and Santa Barbara has possession coming out of a timeout.
6:32 REMAINING IN GAME: Here come the Royals. After finishing the thirsd quarter with a 7-0 run, San Marcos has continued to climb back into this game and now trail 34-27. Plenty of time to keep it going.
END OF THIRD QUARTER: Santa Barbara led by as many as 17 points in the third quarter but the Royals scored seven straight to close out the quarter and keep this game interesting heading into the final period.
3:56 LEFT IN THIRD QUARTER: Santa Barbara has been dominant in this quarter, building its lead to 15 with a 27-12 advantage. The Dons are pressing the Royals and have earned a couple of easy baskets after steals.
HALFTIME: A late flurry of 3-pointers for Santa Barbara puts the Dons up 17-10 at the intermission. Emilio Gonzalez, Brendan Fay, and Matt Wagonhurst connected from beyond the arc to build a 17-7 lead. San Marcos was able to trim the lead to seven at the break on free throws. Angel Lopez, who knocked down a 3-pointer in the first quarter, leads Santa Barbara with five points.
6:19 REMAINING IN FIRST HALF: Thayer White gives San Marcos its first points with two free throws. The Dons aren’t fairing much better on offense and lead only 6-2.
END OF FIRST QUARTER: With Thayer White on the bench, San Marcos has struggled to gain any traction. The Royals are getting beat on the boards but are having an even worse time shooting the ball. The Royals have failed to score so far and trail 6-0 at the end of the first period. Both teams are playing a little frantic in front of this capacity crowd.
36 SECONDS INTO GAME: San Marcos’ leading scorer Thayer White has picked up two extremely quick fouls on the game’s first two possessions. Royals head coach Jarrod Bradley is chirping at the referees about it. Dons take 4-0 lead to start off game.
PREGAME NOTES: The student sections are already full here in JR Richards Gym at Santa Barbara High in anticipation of another great basketball game between the two crosstown rivals. The Royals are wearing black as they do now when traveling to crosstown rivalry games.
