A crosstown matchup between Santa Barbara High and Bishop Diego provided plenty of intrigue, as the Cardinals had dominated their non-league schedule while the Dons had emerged as a Channel League title contender.
On the court, Santa Barbara used its size and length to stifle the Bishop Diego offense and pulled away for a 65-43 victory Monday night as part of the Santa Barbara Holiday Classic.
“When we play together at both ends of the floor, we are really good,” said Santa Barbara High coach Greg Zuffelato. “They are clicking defensively. Individually, we have some good skills, but our team defense is exceptional.”
The first quarter went back and forth, and a three-pointer by Bishop Diego freshman guard Shane Kwizera tied the score at 13-13 with 20 seconds remaining in the period.
From there, Santa Barbara took control, outscoring the Cardinals 15-2 in the second quarter. Levi Oakes and Brent Sharpton led the charge for the Dons, finishing with 23 and 17 points, respectively.
Bishop Diego (9-2 overall, 2-0 Tri-Valley League) thrives on forcing turnovers and converting defense into offense, but the Dons did an excellent job protecting the ball, and the Cardinals’ offense struggled in the half court.
“Besides Crespi, that is the best ball pressure we’ve faced all year,” Zuffelato said. “They are very good.”
Santa Barbara’s offense caught up with its defense in the third quarter. A basket inside by Sharpton put the Dons ahead 30–17 less than a minute into the second half, sparking a 17-7 run that was capped by a Mikah Narva three-pointer to make it 45–24.
“I tip my hat to Santa Barbara. They came ready to play. I feel we just came out flat,” said Bishop Diego coach Caleb Richey, who began his high school career at Santa Barbara before starring at Bishop Diego as a senior. “The good thing is we have another game tomorrow. It’s a long season, and we’re going to keep getting better.”
Kwizera was a bright spot for Bishop Diego, scoring a team-high 16 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter before fouling out with just under three minutes remaining. Senior Damian Krautman added 12 points.
The Dons (7-6 overall, 3-0 Channel League) will host Oakland Tech on Tuesday at 3 p.m. to conclude the tournament. Bishop Diego will face Davis Senior High at 10:30 a.m.
Oakland Tech 70, San Marcos 59
Aidan Conlan erupted for a team-high 24 points, but San Marcos faltered down the stretch in a highly competitive loss to Oakland Tech.
“Even though we lost, I thought through three quarters we played maybe our best basketball of the season,” said San Marcos coach Matthew Jordan. “We were leading at halftime by six and had an unfortunate play at the end of the third quarter that put us down one. They’re an incredibly talented team, and we battled until the very last minute. The game was closer than the final score indicates, in my opinion.”
Dos Pueblos 51, Pinole Valley 47
Senior point guard Evan Pinsker scored 24 points and dished out five assists to lead the Chargers to a comeback win.
Coulter Jay added 10 points, while Jordan Zamora provided a spark defensively with strong energy and effort off the bench.
“We really struggled in the first half, and Pinole Valley hit their shots and defended us very well,” said Dos Pueblos coach Joe Zamora. “At halftime, we were able to make some defensive adjustments, and we did a great job executing offensively.”
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