Santa Barbara High was outscored 15-5 in the fourth quarter and dropped a 49-40 non-league girls basketball decision to Canyon of Canyon Country at the Ventura Showcase on Saturday.
“Mentally, they were better, made fewer mistakes and made more shots,” Santa Barbara coach Andrew Butcher said of Canyon’s play in the fourth quarter.
Canyon (20-4), ranked No. 6 in CIF Division 1A, had a height advantage, but it didn’t seem to bother the Dons in the first half as they took a 24-17 lead. The lead was whittled to one point after the third quarter.
“They were big and they had a good point guard,” Butcher said.
Amber Melgoza led the Dons with 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Dezzy Coleman scored 13 points.
The Dons (19-4), the top-ranked team in CIF Division 3A, face another tough opponent on Tuesday as they host Ventura in Channel League game. Ventura is in first place, one game up on Santa Barbara.
