Carpinteria staged a big second-half comeback and knocked off Frontier League co-leader Santa Paula 49-43 on Tuesday night on the road.
The Warriors overcome a 10-point deficit in the third quarter, outscoring the Cardinals 17-5.
“We just went on a run,” Carpinteria coach Dan Mercer said.
Elena Schneider keyed the comeback, scoring eight of her 16 points in the third quarter.
Lauren Taira ignited the Warriors by making a pair of 3-pointers to cut the 10-point deficit to four. She finished with eight points.
In the fourth quarter, Juli Cullins scored seven of her 13 points and Erin Saito scored five points, making 3 of 4 free throws down the stretch, to stave off Santa Paula.
The win keeps Carpinteria in the hunt for third place and an automatic CIF playoff berth. The Warriors (11-14, 5-4), are in fourth, one game behind Santa Paula (6-3). If the teams finish tied for third after Thursday’s results, they’ll meet for a one-game playoff on a neutral court on Friday.
