Santa Barbara Advances in CIF State Tournament with 72-60 Victory over Mission Bay of San Diego Section

An 11-day break between the CIF Southern Section playoffs and the CIF State Tournament had a revitalizing effect on the Santa Barbara High School boys’ basketball team.

The Dons controlled the paint and pulled away in the second half for a 72-60 victory over Mission Bay of the San Diego Section on Tuesday night at JR Richards Gymnasium.

“On our board, we have keys to the game, and our number-one key was [to] win the war in the paint,” said Santa Barbara High coach Greg Zuffelato. “Out of all the games all year, that was the best job of winning the war in the paint.”

Luke Zuffelato finished with a game-high 27 points despite an off shooting night, and Santa Barbara bounced back from a horrid offensive performance against Mira Costa in the CIF-SS semifinals as five players scored at least eight points.

Sophomores Cayleb Miller and Owen Horn showed their continued improvement for Santa Barbara. Miller has an imposing frame at 6’6″ but did damage from the outside with two huge three-pointers. Horn is known as a sharpshooter but scored eight points around the basket by running the floor in transition and attacking closeouts.

“It was a different type of press. Mira Costa is longer and bigger; maybe [Mission Bay] is more athletic, but not as organized,” Zuffelato said. “We didn’t have trouble with the press, and it didn’t get us out of rhythm in the half-court.”

The Dons wrestled away momentum midway through the first quarter and never looked back. Miller found a cutting Diesel Lowe to give Santa Barbara a 10-9 lead. Santa Barbara closed the first quarter on a 9-2 run capped off by a basket by Horn inside that increased the lead to 17-11.

A three-pointer by Miller followed by a driving layup by Lowe ballooned the Santa Barbara lead to 34-22 late in the first half, and the Dons went into the locker room at halftime ahead 36-27.

Mission Bay opened the second half with a three-pointer by Caleb Newton, who scored a team-high 27 points, cutting its deficit to 36-30. However, the visiting Buccaneers never got any closer.

A thunderous dunk by Carter Battle increased the Santa Barbara lead to 53-39 with 1:38 remaining in the third quarter and ignited the JR Richards Gymnasium crowd. Battle scored 13 points in what is likely the final home game for the Santa Barbara High seniors.

“It slipped into my mind midway through the game, being a coach and a dad together,” Greg Zuffelato said of the likelihood of playing on the road for the remainder of the state tournament. “It’s good to finish on a positive note. You never know; if there’s an upset on the other side, we could get another one.”

A step-back three-pointer by Luke Zuffelato with just under five minutes remaining in the game put Santa Barbara ahead 68-50. Twenty-two of his 27 points came in the second half.

On Thursday, Santa Barbara will face a rematch with top-seeded Sierra Canyon on the road. The Dons’ thrilling victory over the Trailblazers earlier this season sent shockwaves through high school basketball across the country and was a viral sensation online.

The Dons will have to prove they can do it again in enemy territory and with the dream of a State Championship in the balance.