Vaqueros Drop High-Scoring Battle at Ventura, 93-83

By AJ Nagbe

VENTURA, Calif.— The Vaqueros Men's Basketball team fell in a high-scoring shootout on Saturday afternoon, unable to slow down Ventura's offense in a 93-83 loss that dropped Santa Barbara to 3-6 in Western State Conference play.

Jack Berry led SBCC with 21 points, shooting 10‐for‐13 from the field and adding three assists and three rebounds. James Reach followed with 18 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in 34 minutes of action. Off the bench, Brycen Matthews provided a major spark, scoring 17 points on 5‐of‐7 shooting, including a perfect 3‐for‐3 from beyond the arc, and adding four assists. Dante Calhoun added nine points, and Dominic Bonafede chipped in four points with solid interior play. Despite the balanced scoring attack, the Vaqueros couldn't contain Ventura's offense in the high-scoring affair.

Ventura controlled the game from start to finish, never trailing as they shot a commanding 66.7% from the field. The Pirates dominated the paint, scoring 64 points compared to Santa Barbara's 50, and converted their efficient shooting into an authoritative lead. Despite SBCC shooting 56.5% from the field and getting 31 bench points, the Vaqueros couldn't keep pace with Ventura's offensive surge. The Pirates' 40-for-60 shooting performance and 24 assists proved too much to overcome, as Ventura built a 20-point lead and cruised to the 10-point victory.

Head coach Devin Engebretsen acknowledged his team's defensive struggles in the first half following the 93-83 loss. "We had a tough start in the first half, particularly our transition defense," Engebretsen said. "We prepped for Ventura to drive the basketball and also push the ball up the floor, but sometimes the real thing is just different than doing it in practice."

Engebretsen praised his team's second-half adjustments and effort. "In the second half, we showed a little bit more life defensively and held them to 38 points and brought the lead down to seven, so we showed some grit," he said.

Looking ahead to the final stretch of the season, Engebretsen emphasized finishing strong. "We have three games left, and we are going to try to win all three and still have an outside chance to potentially make the playoffs," he said. "We have had a very successful season thus far, and we are looking to finish strong."

Santa Barbara (13-12, 3-6) returns home to host LA Mission on Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 5 p.m. at Robertson Gym.