After a brutal early-season nonleague schedule, the Santa Barbara High boys’ basketball team flexed its muscle in its Channel League opener against Pacifica.
The Dons overwhelmed the visiting Tritons from the opening tip on their way to a 26-0 lead and cruised to a 79-40 victory on Thursday night at J.R. Richards Gymnasium.
“We were so excited. We had six games on the road, tough games against tough teams,” said Santa Barbara coach Greg Zuffelato of his team’s home opener. “We were really ready, and it showed in the first quarter. All of that frustration from some of the close losses—and we just dove in.”
Four Santa Barbara players reached double-digit scoring, led by junior captain Owen Horn, who finished with a game-high 17 points, primarily through relentless rim attacks.
Sophomore Brent Sharpton chipped in 14 points, and junior Moorpark transfer Levi Oakes added all 13 of his points in the first half.
“We have 13 players who could start at any time. Routinely, we have three, four, or five guys in double figures,” Zuffelato said. “That’s our team. We are very balanced.”
The Dons seamlessly turned defense into offense in the first quarter, and a Sharpton three-pointer increased their lead to 26–0 with one minute remaining in the period.
Pacifica broke its drought with a layup by Tommy William with 25 seconds left in the first quarter. Anthony Callica followed with a reverse layup with ten seconds remaining, cutting the Pacifica deficit to 26–4.
However, Santa Barbara snatched back momentum with a three-pointer from the SB logo at midcourt by Horn as the first-quarter buzzer sounded, extending the Dons’ lead to 29–4.
The second quarter was much closer, as Santa Barbara outscored Pacifica 22–15 to take a 51–19 lead into halftime.
Pacifica was led by Williams, who finished with 12 points. Highly touted freshman Bryshon McGhee scored 11 points, including 7-of-8 from the free-throw line.
Santa Barbara will continue Channel League play at Buena on Tuesday and will host rival San Marcos next Thursday.
San Marcos 62, Rio Mesa 29
The Royals put together a defensive masterclass in their Channel League opener. Koji Heffner and Brody Green finished with 14 and 12 points, respectively.
Sergio Landeros added ten points and sparked the team with his energy and effort.
“Really good win tonight. I thought our focus and attention to detail were outstanding. Koji Heffner and Brody Green set a tone early, but the game changed with Sergio Landeros’ energy and effort,” said San Marcos coach Matt Jordan. “He’s been outstanding this year and is one of the main reasons we have had such a great start. He responded incredibly to a tough first quarter and was probably our best player tonight from the second quarter on. We will need him to continue his exceptional play to reach our ceiling this year.”
San Marcos (5–1 overall, 1–0 Channel League) will host Righetti in a nonleague contest on Saturday.
Cate 57, Channel Islands 27
The Cate boys’ varsity basketball team opened its first game of the Thacher Tournament with a lopsided victory over Channel Islands.
The Rams showcased balanced scoring, with three players finishing in double figures: juniors Jackson Steele (16) and Braylin Glomah (13), and sophomore Michael Mumbo (10).
“We attacked the Raiders’ zone defense with unselfish ball movement, strong drives, and aggressive offensive rebounding,” said Cate coach Casey Ortiz. “This game provided the team with valuable opportunities to work on key concepts that will benefit us as we head into back-to-back games in Ojai today and tomorrow.”
The Rams face Santa Clara tonight at 6 p.m., aiming to secure a spot in tomorrow’s tournament championship. Cate won the Thacher Tournament last year, and the Rams are eager to defend their title.
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