Chargers Zachary Shugart throws down a one handed dunk over Dons Jack Baker to put the Chargers up 36-32 with seven minutes left in the fourth period. (James Crosby Photos)
Dos Pueblos has been winning with defense this season and Wednesday in Santa Barbara High’s JR Richards Gymnasium was no different.
It was the Chargers defense that made the winning play as the Dons failed to get a shot off on their final possession and lost 43-41 to Dos Pueblos.
Dons Point Guard Noah Burke puts in a bucket from close range to tie the game 14-14 in the second period.
Dos Pueblos won its fifth straight game while improving to 4-0 in league play. Chargers are 7-0 this season when holding their opponent to 46 points or less.
“We’re in a good position just because of the defense we played in the first round, but we’re not happy. There’s a lot of things we still need to work on,” said Chargers head coach Joe Zamora.
The Dons fought back late in the fourth quarter after falling behind 41-33. The Dons had the final possession of the game but could not get off a shot.
Dons head coach David Bregante said his team, which inbounded the ball with 12 seconds, was going for the tie and overtime.
Dos Pueblos’ defense didn’t allow any penetration and deflected a pass in the final seconds seal the victory.
“We’re not content,” Zamora said. “We know we still got two more rounds of basketball. There’s a lot of basketball in Channel League. We were very fortunate to get out of here with a win”
Zach Shugart and Cruz Mertens both scored a team-high 12 points for the Chargers. Both also threw down crowd-pleasing dunks in the second half, with Shugart’s being a driving one-handed stuff over a Santa Barbara defender.
“It felt great because everyone at school was bugging me, saying ‘you better get a dunk tonight’,” Shugart said. “Some people even offered to pay me to get a dunk.”
The play electrified the Dos Pueblos cheering section, which included Julyan Stone of the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, a DP alum.
Santa Barbara led 30-26 past the half-way point of the third quarter. With Emilio Gonzalez back in the lineup, the Dons looked potent at times.
“He gives us some strength, He gives us some power,” Bregante explained. “Not only that, he scores, he sees the floor real well. He gives us assists. We’re glad to have him on the floor for us.”
The Dons looked their best during two 7-0 runs in the third quarter, including one to start the second half.
“I thought we made a few adjustments at halftime,” Bregante said. “We scored a little better, but so did they.”
Jack Baker recorded a double double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Gonzalez added 12 points and three 3-pointers.
Dos Pueblos’ CJ Zajic scored one of the Chargers’ biggest baskets of the night.
After the Dons fell behind by eight, Gonzalez drained a 3-pointer followed by a pair of nice plays from Noah Burke that cut the lead to two.
After Gerry Perez’s offensive rebound helped the Chargers eat up clock, Zajic crossed the lane and tossed in a six-foot half-hook for what would be the eventual difference in the game.
Santa Barbara finds itself with a 1-3 record in the Channel League. The Dons will take on Ventura on Friday.
Dos Pueblos plays Buena.
DOS PUEBLOS 43, SANTA BARBARA 41
DP – Mertens 12, Perez 8, Williams 5, Zajic 4, Abbott 2, Shugart 12. FG 13, 5-15 FT
SB – Paschke 8, Wagonhurst 3, Burke 7, Baker 11, Gonzalez 12. FG 11, 5-10 FT
DP 7 11 16 9 – 43
SB 8 6 18 9 – 41
3-pointers – DP 4 (Mertens 2, Shugart, Williams) SB 4 (Wagonhurst, Gonzalez 3) Team Fouls – DP 10, SB 10
