Santa Barbara High’s boys basketball team got a good look at one of the top freshman players in the country.
Cody Riley, a 6-8 forward, scored 17 points against the Dons to lead Sierra Canyon to a 73-63 win in the championship game of the Simi Valley Tournament on Saturday.
“Cody Riley is going to be a great player. He can shoot, has a solid post game and is a tremendous dunker,” Santa Barbara assistant Andrew Gil said.
Riley was coming off a 26-point outing in an overtime victory against Valencia in the semifinals. Sierra Canyon scored 121 points in an earlier tournament game.
Santa Barbara (4-1) kept the game close until the last five minutes when Jack Baker fouled out.
“Although Jack finished with only 3 points, he was fundamental to our success throughout the game because he demands so much attention and blocks so many shots,” said Gil.
Noah Burke scored 16 points to lead the Dons, while Isaiah Tapia and David Trujillo each scored 12 points. Chris Wagonhurst added 7 points.
“Noah and Isaiah had tremendous nights shooting the ball and taking it to the hole, outplaying Devearl Ramsey, who is their best guard. David Trujillo gave us toughness in the post, making it hard for Ira Lee to score,” said Gil.
“As a team, we feel like if we play them again, we would beat them,” Gil added. “It was a great early test for us and will prepare us for CIF playoffs. Playing games like this is good for us and our growth before league.”
