Jack Baker controlled the paint for Santa Barbara High on Monday night with 21 rebounds and five blocks. (Presidio Sports Photos)
The ball is rolling for Santa Barbara High’s boys basketball team, and it’s getting harder and harder to stop.
The Dons won their 17th-straight Channel League game on Monday night, defeating visiting San Marcos 75-63 to clinch their second straight league title with three games still to play.
Santa Barbara High’s Bolden Brace takes a jumper with defender Christian Widmer’s hand in his face.
The Dons’ offense, averaging 76 points per game over their last three, was at it again.
“We think we’re capable of doing that every game when we get out and run, because that’s our style,” said Dons center Jack Baker, who totaled 13 points, 21 rebounds and five blocks.
Noah Burke scored a game-high 23 points while spearheading a break-neck pace and a suffocating press that had San Marcos looking uncomfortable all night.
“It wasn’t the tempo we wanted,” said Royals head coach David Odell. “Basically we didn’t execute any of our game plan, so we just made it really hard on ourselves.”
The game was close until Santa Barbara took off on a 16-2 run early in the second quarter. After Christian Widmer converted a three-point play in the final minute of the first quarter, the Royals went dry for five minutes. Bryce Ridenour finally broke the drought, but a 3-pointer by Bolden Brace on the next play put Santa Barbara up 36-16.
Brace scored six of his eight points in the quarter and got the crowd going with a nice drive-and-dish to Chris Wagonhurst and a cross-over move that badly fooled his defender.
“We finally had a big crowd and I was kind of feeling it so I just kept shooting,” Brace said.
The Royals’ best stretch came to close the first half. Scott Everman’s three-point play started a 11-3 run for the Royals that closed the gap before halftime. The first two baskets of the second half belonged to San Marcos, making it 39-31 when Elijah Johnson knocked down a 12-foot jumper on the baseline.
After a Santa Barbara timeout, the Dons regrouped and pushed the lead back to 17.
While the Royals again cut the lead down at the end of the quarter, the final period was dominated by the home team. The Dons led 72-48 at one point.
Johnson – one of four Royals to score in double figures – led the team with 15 points. Widmer had 11, Ridenour 10 and Tyson Miller 10.
It is the second Channel League title in head coach David Bregante’s three-year tenure. Bregante took over a team that had gone winless in league competition the year before. His first year, the Dons finished with a 7-5 record. They are 18-3 since.
“We’ve come a long ways. All the credit has to go to my assistant coaches and the kids for buying into what we’re trying to do,” Bregante said. “I’ve just been blessed. Great kids, great coaches, what can I say.”
The two teams will complete the three-game season series next Thursday at San Marcos in what will be the final regular season game for both teams. Santa Barbara (19-2, 9-0) hosts Ventura in its next game on Wednesday while San Marcos (15-8, 4-5) travels to Dos Pueblos on Friday.
Ventura was the last Channel League school to go undefeated in league play, doing it in 2010-11.
“We still want to go 12-0. That’d be pretty cool to accomplish,” Baker said.
SANTA BARBARA 75, SAN MARCOS 63
SM 14 13 14 22 – 63
SB 22 17 14 22 – 75San Marcos – Ghan-Gibson 9, Ridenour 10, Widmer 11, Johnson 15, Miller 10, Everman 8.
Santa Barbara – Tapia 10, Baker 13, Burke 23, Brace 8, Trujillo 2, Clay 2, Wagonhurst 4, Fay 4.
