By Jimmy Friery
SANTA BARBARA, CA – The Santa Barbara City College Women's Basketball team (6-2) lost a close matchup at home against Antelope Valley on Friday night. The Vaqueros held a small lead for the majority of the game, but ultimately the visitors prevailed 58-55.
"The biggest thing is we have to be able to sustain when we have a lead and to understand time and circumstance," head coach Sandrine Krul said. "We're all still locked in. We just need better execution with time and circumstance."
The game started fast, particularly due to the Vaqueros' full-court press speeding the game up. Early on, it felt like every Antelope Valley possession ended in a layup, jump ball, or turnover. SBCC failed to fully take advantage, though, as their shots were not falling as much as they would have liked. Isis Poteet was the only starter to score in the first quarter, scoring 10 of the Vaqueros' 15 points. Offensive rebounds kept SBCC in the lead and in control of the game ever so slightly.
In the second quarter, the Vaqueros' shooting woes continued, as did their prominent offensive rebounding. Shooting 6-for-22 from the field but grabbing 9 offensive rebounds, SBCC continued to extend their possessions. However, shooting just 1-for-14 from three in the first half did not do them any favors. At halftime, both teams went into the locker room looking to improve, with the Vaqueros leading 28-26.
It seemed as though SBCC was going to pull away midway through the third quarter with a 43-31 lead. After SBCC forced a turnover in the backcourt, Sierra Jewell drained a three, followed by a Jaden Bone steal and assist leading to a Siena Hoban easy layup. Not so fast, though, as Antelope Valley would respond with a 10-0 run. By the end of the third, the game was still tight at 45-41 Vaqueros.
The Vaqueros steadily built a 52-43 lead, but back-to-back Antelope Valley buckets cut the lead to 52-47 with five minutes remaining. Then, two free throws made it a one-score game once again. Later, an and-1 for Antelope Valley tied, then took the lead on the free throw. It was their first lead since early in the second quarter. Hoban made a free throw for SBCC to tie it at 55, with 35 seconds left to decide a winner.
Antelope Valley advanced the ball after a timeout, and SBCC's defense was phenomenal. They forced a jump ball in the corner, but unluckily, the possession arrow was in favor of Antelope Valley. On the second chance, Deja Taylor hit a clutch three in that same corner, but still with 21 seconds remaining.
SBCC called a timeout and similarly advanced the ball, drawing up a play for a game-tying three. The first shot missed, but an offensive rebound fittingly gave them second life. After another miss, SBCC threw the ball out of bounds, giving possession back to Antelope Valley.
With 8.7 seconds left, Antelope Valley missed both of their free throws, so the Vaqueros were not yet defeated. Ironically, the ensuing rebound was fought after, resulting in another jump ball, this time pointing the Vaqueros' way. Drawing up another chance for a game-tying three, the shot was blocked, and Antelope Valley ran out the clock to the 58-55 final score.
Isis Poteet led all Vaqueros with 16 points, adding 10 rebounds (7 offensive), earning her third double-double of the year. Amarisse Camargo led the team with 12 rebounds, as did Kaylee Lawson with 7 steals.
"Amarisse started tonight because Aariah [Fox] couldn't go—she was sick—and [Amarisse] came in and had 12 rebounds playing though," Krul said.
Siena Hoban led the Vaqueros' strong bench with 12 of the 24 total bench points. Five bench players scored, with Jaden Bone leading the team in assists with 5.
"Our bench is doing a really good job," Krul added. "Our bench has been productive all year long. … We don't rely on one player."
The Vaqueros dominated the boards, grabbing 55 to Antelope Valley's 45 rebounds. SBCC's massive 28 offensive rebounds led to 19 second chance points. The shooting was the story of the game, though, as the Vaqueros made just 2 of their 30 three-point attempts (6.7%), shooting 28.7% overall.
"I always say, 'You don't lose, you learn,'" Krul concluded. "We're 6-2 right now and putting this game in the rearview because we have a game tomorrow versus Copper Mountain, so we are excited about that."
After starting 6-0, the Vaqueros have an immediate opportunity to get back to their winning ways. As Krul mentioned, on Saturday evening, they host Copper Mountain (7-2) at home at 6:00 PM.
