Santa Barbara High took better care of the basketball in the second half and pulled away from Calabasas, 71-56, in CIF 3AA Division second-round game Saturday night in Calabasas.
The top-seeded Dons (23-5) go back on the road for the quarterfinals, traveling to Irvine on Wednesday.
Amber Melgoza scored 28 points to lead four Dons in double figures against the Coyotes. Dezzy Coleman scored 18 points, Jocelin Petatan added 17 and Jada Howard chipped in 10 points.
Santa Barbara, which lost in the quarterfinals last season at Calabasas, got off to a rocky start. The Dons turned the ball over 14 times and were tied 30-30 at halftime.
They committed just four turnovers in the second half.
Defense played a key part in the win. The team recorded 21 steals, leading to several easy baskets. The Dons also were strong on the boards. Melgoza grabbed 13 rebounds and freshman Kimberly Gebhardt hauled in nine.
Coleman was clutch at the free-throw line in the final minutes to keep the Coyotes at bay.
