Clutch play down the stretch by the San Marcos High girls’ basketball team was enough to hold off a feisty Righetti team.
The Royals were far from a finished product in their season opener, but overcame their miscues to capture a 57-52 victory on Thursday night at the Thunderhut.
“We’re going to have mistakes early on in the season, but it’s all about how we respond in those situations,” said San Marcos High coach Kelly Uyesaka. “Our girls kept the energy up and kept battling.”
San Marcos boasted a balanced attack as sophomore Jada Ahmad finished with a team-high 15 points, despite a cold shooting night. Junior transfer Izzy Schow added 13 points, and Giulia Gislimberti chipped in 10 points.
“She is a huge piece for us, very coachable,” Uyesaka said of Schow. “The size helps, but more importantly, she is a really good person, and we love having her around.”
The victory was secured for San Marcos by an unlikely hero. San Marcos was clinging to a 52-49 lead with less than a minute remaining when freshman Piper Kittle received a bullet pass from Schow and, without hesitation, drained a three-pointer to give the Royals a 55-49 lead.
“We just tell her to stay confident. Shots weren’t falling for her early on, but we were telling her, ‘If you have an open opportunity, don’t be afraid to take it,’” said Uyesaka of Kittle’s clutch shot. “The coaches have all the belief in her to knock that down.”
San Marcos was cruising late in the first half as two free throws by Ahmad increased its lead to 32-20, but Righetti responded with a 5-0 run, capped off by a floater from Victoria Paul to cut its deficit to 32-25 at halftime.
The Warriors were led by Lexie Simon, who finished with a team-high 13 points before leaving the game in the fourth quarter due to injury.
With the win, San Marcos is 1-0 on the season. Righetti drops to 1-2.
Santa Barbara, 47; Valley Christian, 42
The Dons picked up their first win of the season led by freshman Amelia Lopez, who scored 19 points, dished out eight assists, grabbed six rebounds, and added four steals.
Rosie Dinocio was a stalwart defensively and chipped in 10 points. Santa Barbara only committed three turnovers in the second half.
“We’re playing four freshmen, and they are all contributing at a very high level,” said Santa Barbara High coach Andrew Butcher. “They compliment our returners well.”
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