2011-12 Game Stories
By Dave Loveton, sports information
Saturday, Feb. 18 -- L.A. Pierce at SBCC, 5 p.m. SBCC 71, Pierce 56 Records: 13-14, 7-5 (3rd place)
Quick start fuels 71-56 victory
Salazar nets 25 points; Gonzalez grabs 14 rebounds
SBCC opened with a 12-0 run in Saturday’s home finale and never looked back in a 71-56
win over L.A. Pierce.
Elia Salazar scored 20 of her season-high 25 points in the second half. She also
grabbed 11 rebounds. Mercedes Gonzalez pulled down 14 boards, helping the Vaqueros
(13-14, 7-5 WSC North) to a 45-34 rebound advantage. Gonzalez has 27 rebounds in her
last two games.
SBCC shot 46 percent in the first half, including 5-9 on 3-pointers, to build a 38-19
lead. Katie Grande had 10 of her 12 points in the first 20 minutes and Leslie Steele
scored all nine of her points.
“When we went down to nine players from injuries and other things, those nine players
really believed,” said coach Sandrine Krul. “If those guys had just believed in the
beginning, things would have been different.
“You don’t let one person affect the group, you let the group affect the person.
That’s what this season was about. We finished third in conference, which was an improvement
on last year‘s fourth place.”
Keia Nobles had six points and seven boards for the Vaqueros, who took a 24-point
lead, 58-34, on a shot in the lane by Salazar with 8:51 to play.
Krul said there’s an outside chance for her team to make the 18-team Southern Cal
Regional for an seventh straight year but they need a few other teams to lose their
finale.
Wednesday, Feb. 15 -- SBCC at Cuesta, 5 p.m. SBCC 65, Cuesta 64 Records: 12-14, 6-5
Nobles’ steal & FT lift Vaqueros, 65-64
She scores 15; Gonzalez gets 13 rebounds
Keia Nobles stole an in-bound pass and hit a free throw with 9.2 seconds remaining
on Wednesday to lift SBCC over Cuesta 65-64 in a WSC North game at San Luis Obispo.
Nobles finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists for the short-handed
Vaqueros (12-14, 6-5), who took sole possession of third place from the Cougars (13-13,
5-6) with one game to play.
Mercedes Gonzalez led SBCC with 13 rebounds. Jennifer Jimenez scored 13 points, Shannon
Abdulla had 10 off the bench and Katie Grande hit a pair of key 3-pointers in the
first half. The Vaqueros led 32-27 at intermission.
“We’ve had five players go down with season-ending injuries,” said assistant coach
Ashley Alderton. “Our players are really battling. They’re playing for the ones who
couldn’t play.”
It was back-and-forth in the final two minutes. Alyssa Palma put Cuesta up 64-62
with two free throws at the 23-second mark. Jimenez tied it up with a pair of foul
shots with 16.4 showing.
Nobles, a freshman forward from Oxnard, deflected a Cuesta pass to herself and was
fouled with 9.2 seconds left. After she made the first free throw and missed the second,
the Cougars missed a long final shot.
The Vaqueros conclude their season on Saturday with a home game against L.A. Pierce.
Tip-off is set for 5 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 11 -- SBCC at Moorpark, 5 p.m. Moorpark 68, SBCC 40 Records: 11-14, 5-5
Vaqueros fall at Moorpark, 68-40
SBCC loses 2 key players early in game
Sophomores Jasmine Johnson and Jennifer Jimenez, the co-captains of the SBCC women’s
basketball team, went down with injuries early in Saturday’s game and Moorpark took
advantage to post a 68-40 win.
“It’s been that kind of year for us,” said coach Sandrine Krul. “We’re down to eight
players but I’m so proud of how hard they played tonight.”
Johnson was coming off a season-high 16-point effort three days ago in a 20-point
win over Hancock. She was injured in the opening minutes. Jimenez had five rebounds
and three assists before getting hurt.
Keia Nobles posted a season-high 16 points, eight rebounds and three steals for the
Vaqueros (11-14, 5-5 WSC North). Katie Grande added eight points and Elia Salazar
had seven points and seven boards.
The Vaqueros had 20 first-half turnovers as they fell behind 31-20. They shot just
19 percent in the second half (5 of 27) and 28 percent for the game. Moorpark, which
shot 40 percent, is second in the conference with records of 9-1 and 17-8.
SBCC has two games left in the regular season -- Wednesday at Cuesta and Saturday
at home vs. L.A. Pierce.
Wednesday, Feb. 8 -- Hancock at SBCC, 5 p.m. SBCC 57, Hancock 37 Records: 11-13, 5-4
Johnson sparks Vaqueros
She nets season-high 16 in 57-37 win
Jasmine Johnson scored a season-high 16 points and grabbed six rebounds on Wednesday
as SBCC used a fast start to take care of Hancock 57-37 in a WSC North game at the
Sports Pavilion.
Johnson, a left-handed sophomore guard from Calabasas High, hit 7-of-11 from the
field. She nailed four medium-range jumpers in the first 10 minutes as the Vaqueros
(11-13, 5-4) jumped ahead 20-4 in the Coaches vs. Cancer game, a fundraiser for the
American Cancer Society.
“We’ve been working on shooting a lot in practice and it’s really showed up on the
court,” said Johnson. “I want to do well because it’s the end of the year and I want
to go play at the next level. You have to step it up at some point.”
The Vaqueros enjoyed a 30-11 halftime lead after forcing the Bulldogs (5-19, 1-9)
into 20 turnovers. Johnson opened the game with a steal and a 10-foot jumper and capped
a 7-0 run to end the half with a short pull-up on the fast break.
Camille Zumbro, the leading scorer in the state, scored 16 of her game-high 21 points
in the second half for Hancock.
“We played well as a team,“ said SBCC coach Sandrine Krul. “We have 11 players and
everyone played tonight.”
Keia Nobles had 11 points, nine rebounds and four steals and Mercedes Gonzalez chipped
in with eight points and eight boards. The Vaqueros dominated the backboards, 54-32,
and had 25 offensive rebounds, led by Nobles with five.
Katie Grande had seven rebounds off the bench and Shannon Abdulla handed out five
assists. The Vaqueros collected 18 steals and forced 34 turnovers. The 11 first-half
points and 37 for the game were both season lows by the Vaqueros defense.
“Our defense was so good in the first half and we were helping each other, then we
stopped doing that in the second half,” said Krul. “Jasmine played great. She’s improved
a lot this year.
“We can still make the playoffs. We have to do well our last three games and we need
a little help.”
Saturday, Feb. 4 -- Ventura at SBCC, 5 p.m. Ventura 73, SBCC 43 Records: 10-13, 4-4
No. 1 Pirates top Vaqueros 73-43
SBCC shoots just 27 percent
Ventura jumped ahead 18-5 in the opening minutes on Saturday and went on to post a
73-43 victory over SBCC at the Sports Pavilion.
The Pirates, ranked No. 1 in the state, built a 41-16 halftime lead while improving
to 9-0 in the WSC North and 26-1 on the year. Jasmine Johnson scored 11 for the Vaqueros
(10-13, 4-4 WSC North) and Jennifer Jimenez had eight points and nine rebounds.
SBCC shot 22 percent in the opening half (6-27) and committed 32 turnovers in the
game.
“It’s always tough to play Ventura,“ said assistant coach Ashley Alderton. “We had
a little situation on the bench early in the game that threw us. We were a little
off with our shot selection.
“I was proud of the way we rallied together and never stopped fighting.“
Elia Salazar collected six points and eight rebounds. “Elia and Jasmine showed great
leadership,” said Alderton.
The Vaqueros will host Hancock on Wednesday at 5 p.m. It’s the annual Coaches vs.
Cancer Night, a fundraiser that honors cancer survivors and fighters while raising
money for the American Cancer Society.
Wednesday, Feb. 1 -- SBCC at Oxnard, 5 p.m. SBCC 62, Oxnard 54 Records: 10-12, 4-3
Vaqueros run past Oxnard 62-54
Jimenez has double-double in WSC win
Jennifer Jimenez scored 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds on Wednesday night as SBCC
built a big second-half lead on the way to a 62-54 triumph at Oxnard.
The Vaqueros (10-12, 4-3 WSC North) opened the second half with a 24-0 blitz that
stretched the lead to 27 points at 54-27. Oxnard (5-13, 1-7) was scoreless for the
first 10 minutes of the second half.
Sara Crane racked up seven points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and three steals for
Santa Barbara, which enjoyed a 46-31 rebound advantage. Nineteen of those rebounds
were offensive with Jimenez, Crane and Mercedes Gonzalez grabbing four apiece.
“Our transition game was awesome,” said coach Sandrine Krul. “We used everyone tonight.
Samantha Lugo and Lindsay Jesseman did a great job off the bench. Oxnard was able
to catch up because they got hot from the 3-point line.”
Leslie Steele scored nine points on 3-7 shooting from downtown while Elia Salazar
had eight points and five rebounds.
Wednesday, Jan. 25 -- SBCC at L.A. Pierce, 5 p.m. SBCC 78, Pierce 76 Records: 9-12, 3-3
Crane sparks Vaqueros to 78-76 win
Steele scores 15; Jimenez sinks game-winner
Sara Crane did a little of everything on Wednesday night with 11 points, eight assists,
four rebounds and three steals, leading SBCC to a 78-76 victory over L.A. Pierce in
Woodland Hills.
Leslie Steele made 4-of-10 from 3-point land and scored 15 points before fouling
out with 7:30 to go. The Vaqueros (9-12) hit their season high in points to complete
the first round with a 3-3 record in WSC North play. Pierce is 8-14 and 1-5.
SBCC shot 41 percent in the game and led 43-41 after a high-scoring first half.
Crane made a spin move and sank a layup to put the visitors up 76-74 with two minutes
left. Jimenez scored the game-winning layup on an assist from Crane with 1:20 to play.
Jasmine Johnson had a strong game with 10 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and
three blocks. Jimenez and Keia Nobles both finished with nine points and six boards,
helping the Vaqueros to a 46-35 rebound advantage.
Elia Salazar had an interesting performance, scoring all 10 of her points in the
first half and grabbing all nine of her rebounds in the second half.
The Vaqueros have a bye on Saturday before opening the second round of WSC play on
Feb. 1 at Oxnard.
Saturday, Jan. 21 -- Cuesta at SBCC, 5 p.m. Cuesta 65, SBCC 60 Records: 8-12, 2-3
Cuesta slips past Vaqueros 65-60
Crane collects 14 points and 13 assists
Sara Crane had a big night with 14 points, a season-high 13 assists and five rebounds
on Saturday but SBCC still came on the short end of a 65-60 decision to Cuesta at
the Sports Pavilion.
After falling behind 11-0 and 16-4 at the outset, the Vaqueros (8-12, 2-3 WSC North)
battled back and finally took the lead at 58-57 on a long jumper from the corner by
Shannon Abdulla with 4:10 to play. A layup by Crane on an assist from Mercedes Gonzales
put the home team ahead 60-59 with 1:56 showing.
The Vaqueros didn’t score again, however, missing three shots (including two 3-pointers)
on their second-to-last possession.
“We had three steals at the end and three turnovers,” said coach Sandrine Krul. “That
says it all. We were playing hard and we did a good job of fighting back.”
Leslie Steele had 13 points and four steals while Elia Salazar had nine points, 14
rebounds and three steals. Gonzales had four of SBCC’s 19 steals.
The Vaqueros were outshot 43 to 34 percent and struggled from the 3-point line (2-15).
SBCC pulled within four, 34-30, when Abdulla banked in a 13-footer to beat the halftime
buzzer.
Cuesta didn’t make a field goal in the last six minutes but pulled away by hitting
8-of-13 free throws. Trailing 61-60, the Vaqueros had the ball with 53 seconds left
but threw it away.
“When opportunity knocks, you have to open the door,” said Krul. “We showed a lot
of fight and we’ll take the moral victory. I‘m happy we played with passion, now we
have to get back to execution.”
Wednesday, Jan. 18 -- Moorpark at SBCC, 5 p.m. Moorpark 69, SBCC 58 Records: 8-11, 2-2
Second-half slump sinks Vaqueros
Moorpark rallies from 13 down to win 69-58
SBCC played solid basketball for 25 minutes on Wednesday night, extending an eight-point
halftime advantage to 45-32 on a layup by Jennifer Jimenez with 14:51 to play.
But the Vaqueros went cold for the next 13 minutes, getting outscored 33-7 and falling
to Moorpark 69-58 in a WSC North game at the Sports Pavilion.
“Those scoring droughts really hurt,” said coach Sandrine Krul. “We didn’t show up
defensively, giving up 69 points. This young team is going to get it, I don’t when
but they’re going to get it.
“When you’re up 13, why are you rushing to take shots? Maybe a game like this will
wake us up.”
Jennifer Jimenez led the Vaqueros (8-11, 2-2) with 13 points. Mercedes Gonzalez had
nine points and seven rebounds while Elia Salazar had eight points and seven boards.
Shannon Abdulla also scored eight.
Moorpark (12-7, 4-0) shot nearly twice as many free throws, hitting 23 of 39, compared
to 14-20 for the Vaqueros.
The Vaqueros shot 44 percent in the first half while building a 35-28 lead. They
boosted the margin to 13 on layups by Salazar and Jimenez before Moorpark got hot.
A layup by Keia Nobles gave SBCC a 51-44 lead with 9:32 to go but the Raiders put
together a 21-1 burst to assume control at 65-52.
Saturday, Jan. 14 -- SBCC at Hancock, 5 p.m. SBCC 71, Hancock 51 Records: 8-10, 2-1
Crane, Gonzalez spark Vaqueros
SBCC dominates boards in 71-51 triumph
Freshman forward Sara Crane scored 15 points with 12 rebounds on Saturday and Mercedes
Gonzalez grabbed a career-high 17 boards to guide SBCC past Hancock 71-51 in a WSC
North game at Santa Maria.
Crane hit 7-10 from the field and was one of three Vaqueros in double-figure rebounds.
Santa Barbara won the board battle 52-32 with Gonzalez collecting 17, Crane 12 and
Keia Nobles 11.
Jennifer Jimenez scored 15 points while Nobles had a double-double with 11 points
and 11 rebounds. Leslie Steele also scored 11. Gonzalez had four of her team’s 19
steals.
The Vaqueros (8-10, 2-1) started the first half on a 10-0 run on the way to a 38-25
halftime lead. They opened the second half on a 12-0 streak, stretching the margin
to 25 points at 50-25.
Santa Barbara had a great free-throw night, making 18 of 24. Camille Zumbro, the
WSC’s top scorer, led Hancock with 26 points.
“We held them to 51 and we really worked our defensive strategy and our transition
game,” said coach Sandrine Krul. “We started the second half on a 12-0 run with JJ
(Jimenez), Crane and Steele leading the way.”
Wednesday, Jan. 11 -- SBCC at Ventura, 5 p.m. #1 Ventura 68, SBCC 44 Records: 7-10, 1-1
Vaqueros fall to No. 1 Ventura
SBCC shoots 23 percent in 68-44 setback
Ventura, the state's top-ranked team, took control with an 18-4 first-half run on
Wednesday en route to a 68-44 women’s basketball victory over visiting SBCC.
The Pirates (20-1, 3-0 WSC North) outshot the Vaqueros 47 to 23 percent and won the
board battle 41-32. Ventura ended the opening half on a 26-8 run that produced a 36-19
lead.
Jennifer Jimenez paced Santa Barbara with 10 points and six rebounds. Keia Nobles
had seven points and Mercedes Gonzalez added six points and eight rebounds.
The Vaqueros (7-10, 1-1) went ahead 11-10 on a triple by Jimenez before the Pirates
scored 18 of the next 22 points to take a 28-15 advantage with five minutes to go
in the first half.
Ventura hit 12-of-19 free throws in the first half while the Vaqueros were just 2-4.
The Pirates attempted 23 more foul shots for the game, converting 24-37 compared to
7-14 for the visitors. The Vaqueros made 5-29 from the 3-point line.
“We played well but it’s tough to win when the other team gets 23 more free throws,”
said Vaquero coach Sandrine Krul. “We did a great job of holding their top 3-point
shooter without a 3.”
Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012 -- Oxnard at SBCC, 5 p.m. SBCC 66, Oxnard 42 Records: 7-9, 1-0
Vaqueros cruise to 66-42 win
Steele hits four triples in WSC opener
SBCC closed the first half on an 18-6 run Saturday night and went on to beat Oxnard
66-42 in its WSC North debut at the Sports Pavilion.
Sophomore Leslie Steele paced a balanced offense with 12 points on 4-8 shooting from
the 3-point line. The Vaqueros (7-9, 1-0) outrebounded the Condors 53-39.
SBCC ended a recent 3-point slump by draining 7-of-23 from long distance. The Vaqueros
outshot the visitors 34 to 21 percent.
“We know that we’re a good offensive team and we just continued to work,” said Steele.
“Finally, our shots starting falling today.”
Steele scored nine in the first half as the Vaqueros built a 32-16 lead. They used
a 12-3 second-half burst and stretched the margin to 22 points (48-26) on a trey by
Katie Grande and a 15-foot jumper by Alexis McCord.
Sara Crane had 10 points, six rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots while
Grande scored 10. Jasmine Johnson added eight points and Jennifer Jimenez had seven
rebounds and five assists.
The Vaqueros posted their second-highest scoring total of the year (66) while giving
up a season-low 42.
“We held them to 16 points in the first half and we put two good halves together,”
said coach Sandrine Krul. “This wasn’t easy. … It’s fun to finally win a game.”
Thursday, Dec. 29 -- Grossmont Holiday Tourney: SBCC vs. Mt. San Jacinto, 1 p.m. #8 Mt. San Jacinto 70, SBCC 42 Record: 6-9
No. 8 Eagles top Vaqueros 70-42
SBCC makes just 23 percent from field
SBCC closed out 2011 with a sub-par performance on Thursday afternoon in the consolation
semifinals of the 24th annual Grossmont Holiday Tournament.
Mt. San Jacinto, ranked No. 8 in the state, opened the second half on a 20-5 run
and went on to beat the Vaqueros 70-42. The Eagles (12-3) jumped out to an 11-3 lead
at the start and led 28-20 at halftime.
San Jacinto outshot the Vaqueros 42 to 23 percent and won the rebound battle 48-34.
Santa Barbara (6-9) was 0-for-13 on 3-pointers. The Vaqueros missed all 28 of their
long-range shots in the tourney.
Shannon Abdulla led SBCC with 11 points and Marissa Unzueta had six points and five
rebounds. Elisa Salazar and Sara Crane both contributed five points and five rebounds.
Crane added four assists and three steals.
The Vaqueros open WSC North play on Saturday, Jan. 7 with a 5 p.m. home game against
Oxnard.
Wednesday, Dec. 28 -- Grossmont Holiday Tourney: SBCC vs. Cypress, 3 p.m. Cypress 51, SBCC 47
Vaqueros fall to Cypress 51-47
Gonzalez gets 15 rebounds at Grossmont Tourney
Sophomore forward Mercedes Gonzalez grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds on Wednesday
but SBCC fell short in a 51-47 loss to Cypress in the opening round of the Grossmont
Holiday Tournament at El Cajon.
The Vaqueros (6-8) were missing two of their key players. Jennifer Jimenez and Katie
Grande missed the game due to illness and a family matter.
SBCC shot 26 percent in the first half but still led 20-19. They used an 8-0 run
to take their biggest lead at 38-32 on back-to-back buckets by Gonzalez with 9:30
to play.
Cypress (9-6), ranked No. 15 in Southern Cal, responded with a 9-2 burst and took
a 41-40 advantage with just under two minutes left. The Vaqueros never led again.
Keia Nobles hit 6-10 from the field and led the Vaqueros with 12 points and five
rebounds. Gonzalez and Elia Salazar had eight points each and Salazar nabbed 11 rebounds.
Leslie Steele and Sara Crane had five assists apiece while Gonzalez and Crane each
had four steals.
“We’re getting better and I think the break did us good,” said coach Sandrine Krul.
“We’ve been facing good teams and we’ve battled them all the way.”
SBCC hit 32.3 percent (20-62) for the game and missed all 15 of its 3-point tries.
The Chargers shot 27.3 percent but made 12 more free throws, converting 19-28 compared
to 7-17 for the Vaqueros.
Saturday, Dec. 17 -- SBCC Crossover: Barstow at SBCC, 3 p.m. Barstow 79, SBCC 56 Record: 6-7
Turnovers hinder Vaqueros
They commit 34 in 79-56 loss to Barstow
SBCC turned the ball over 34 times on Saturday and Barstow nailed 7-12 from the 3-point
line, sending the Vaqueros to a 79-56 loss on the second day of the SBCC Crossover
in the Sports Pavilion.
“I’m really at a loss, we’re running good offense,” said coach Sandrine Krul. “We
just have to get better. The good thing is the team is together and there’s no dissension
on the team. We’ll fix the stuff we have to fix.”
Elia Salazar had 14 points and five rebounds and Keia Nobles finished with 12 points
and seven boards for the Vaqueros, who fell to 6-7. Jennifer Jimenez had 11 points
and four rebounds, Leslie Steele had 10 points and Jasmine Johnson grabbed six rebounds.
“Our post players are doing really well, getting into the middle and making hard
post moves,” Krul added. “This is what the nonconference is all about -- getting better
as a team. We’re facing some good teams.“
Sara Crane had six assists but she and Leslie Steele combined for 17 of her team’s
34 turnovers.
SBCC used a 12-3 run to take its biggest lead at 22-17 before the Vikings reeled
off 15 unanswered points to go ahead 32-22. The Vaqueros turned it over 21 times in
the opening half to fall behind 37-28.
Jazmyne Smith led Barstow (11-3) with 21 points and Nisha Barrett added 17. In Saturday’s
first game, Citrus routed Sequoias 65-29.
Barstow outshot the Vaqueros 43 to 34 percent. SBCC was 4-15 from 3-point country
and made 18-31 free throws. Nobles was 8-11 from the charity stripe.
The Vaqueros will take a week off from practice. They return to action on Dec. 28
against Cypress at the Grossmont Holiday Tournament.
Friday, Dec. 16 -- SBCC Crossover: Citrus at SBCC, 7 p.m. Citrus 63, SBCC 50 (SB wins by forfeit) Record: 6-6
Citrus rallies to beat Vaqueros
Salazar scores season-high 18 in 63-50 defeat
Citrus took the lead with a 15-1 run early in the second half on Friday night and
went on to beat SBCC 63-50 at the SBCC Crossover. The Vaqueros later got a forfeit
win due to a paperwork error by the Owls.
The Vaqueros (6-6) put together a 9-0 run and pulled within a point, 42-41, on two
free throws by Leslie Steele with 8:49 to play. The Owls (8-3) responded with a 16-4
burst to stretch the margin to 58-45 with 2:19 to play.
Freshman forward Elia Salazar hit 7-of-8 field goals and tossed in a season-high
18 points to lead SBCC. She also had nine rebounds. Brianna Barfield scored 15 of
her 23 points in the second half for Citrus.
“We’re going to take this morale victory and build on it,” said Santa Barbara coach
Sandrine Krul. “We had Sara (Crane) playing point guard for the first time this year.
She handles the ball great and really makes us go. Elia got in the starting lineup
and scored 18 points.”
Crane collected seven points, eight rebounds, seven assists and two blocked shots.
Steele added seven points.
Citrus outshot the Vaqueros 52 to 25 percent in the second half. SBCC made 33 percent
for the game and missed all 12 of its 3-point tries, including 0-9 in the second half.
Santa Barbara took a 24-16 lead when Crane set up Salazar for two straight layups
with 4:20 to go in the first half. The Vaqueros led 26-22 at intermission.
In Friday’s first game, Barstow improved to 10-3 with a 51-37 win over Sequoias.
Saturday, Dec. 10 -- Moorpark Classic, consolation semifinal: Santa Ana 48, SBCC 45 Record: 5-6
Santa Ana edges Vaqueros 48-45
Crane has 13 rebounds; SBCC shoots just 24 percent
The shooting woes continued for SBCC on Saturday in a 48-45 loss to Santa Ana at the
Moorpark Classic.
After falling behind 31-27 at halftime, the Vaqueros (5-6) made only 16 percent (6
of 37) and scored 18 points in the second half. They held the Dons to 17 points on
22 percent shooting after intermission.
Santa Barbara shot 24 percent for the game but still had chances to win in the final
minute.
“We made three steals in the last 30 seconds with a chance to tie and we turned it
over on each breakaway,” said coach Sandrine Krul. “It’s the same thing over and over.
We get stops on defense and can’t score on offense.”
Katie Grande scored 12 points, Leslie Steele had nine and Sara Crane grabbed 13 rebounds,
including eight offensive. The Vaqueros won the board battle 49-30.
Jennifer Jimenez had 10 rebounds and four steals and Jasmine Johnson contributed
seven points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Friday, Dec. 9 -- Moorpark Classic: Antelope Valley 57, SBCC 49 Record: 5-5
Vaqueros fall to Antelope Valley
Johnson has 12 points, 6 steals at Moorpark Classic
Jasmine Johnson collected 12 points, six steals and four assists on Friday afternoon
but SBCC still came up short in the opening round of the Moorpark Classic. Antelope
Valley prevailed 57-49.
The Vaqueros (5-5) overcame a 37-27 halftime deficit but couldn’t finish the deal.
SBCC was outshot 44 to 38 percent and outrebounded 38-25.
“It was close the entire second half until the three-minute mark when we stopped
scoring,“ said coach Sandrine Krul, whose team made only 4 of 15 free throws. “AVC
has a frontline of 6-2, 6-1 and 6-2 and we held them to 57 points. We have 11 freshmen
and we just have to get better on offense. I know we will.”
Jennifer Jimenez had eight points and Mercedes Gonzalez added six points and seven
rebounds. Sara Crane had six points and six boards.
Sunday, Dec. 4 -- Gilchrist Invitational at Sequoias: Consolation final, SBCC vs. L.A. Valley, 10
a.m. L.A. Valley 50, SBCC 41
Offense sputters down stretch
Steele scores 12 in loss to L.A. Valley
SBCC went scoreless for the final eight minutes on Sunday morning, allowing L.A. Valley
to register a 50-41 victory in the consolation final of the Gilchrist Invitational
at Sequoias.
The Monarchs snapped a 41-41 tie with a 3-pointer at the 7:32 mark and scored the
final nine points.
Sophomore guard Leslie Steele led the Vaqueros (5-4) with 12 points on 4-9 shooting
from 3-point country. Mercedes Gonzalez had eight points and seven rebounds while
Jasmine Johnson had seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. Jennifer Jimenez
also had seven rebounds.
The score was tied 24-24 at halftime. The Vaqueros made just 22 percent from the
field (7-32) in the second half and 29 percent for the game.
“Our defense was great in all four days of this tournament,” said coach Sandrine
Krul. “We kept all four teams in the 50s. We’re doing the hard part, we just have
to find a way to get more efficient on offense.”
Saturday, Dec. 3 -- Gilchrist Invitational at Sequoias: SBCC vs. Sequoias, 10 a.m. SBCC 61, Sequoias 55, OT Record: 5-3
Vaqueros rally for overtime win
Gonzalez has double-double at Sequoias Tourney
SBCC rallied from an eight-point halftime deficit to tie in regulation on Saturday
morning, then beat Sequoias 61-55 in overtime in a consolation semifinal of the Sequoias
Invitational at Visalia.
Jennifer Jimenez scored all 12 of her points in the first half when the Vaqueros
(5-3) fell behind 29-21. Mercedes Gonzalez had a double-double (10 points, 12 rebounds)
while Sara Crane contributed 10 points, five assists and three steals.
Leslie Steele had nine points and Jaz Johnson added six points, seven assists and
five boards.
Santa Barbara pulled even at the 12-minute mark and forced overtime when Katie Grande
nailed two free throws to make it 51-all with 50 seconds left.
Steele took a pass from Jimenez and canned a 3-pointer to open overtime, igniting
a 10-4 Vaquero run in the five-minute extra session. Gonzalez had a steal and basket
in the overtime and Crane made a steal that led to a 3-point play.
SBCC won the battle of the boards (38-34) and forced 28 turnovers. The Vaqueros were
solid from the free-throw line, making 7-8 in the second half and OT.
“This is a young team and we’re starting to win close games,” said coach Sandrine
Krul. “We played until close to 9 p.m. (on Friday), then came back at 10 this morning
and gave a great effort.”
Friday, Dec. 2 -- Gilchrist Invitational at Sequoias: SBCC 55, Riverside 51 Record: 4-3
Vaqueros upset No. 12 Tiigers
Crane grabs 12 rebounds
SBCC grabbed a 27-20 halftime lead on Friday and went on to stun Riverside 55-51 in
the consolation quarterfinals of the Sequoias Invitational in Visalia.
Katie Grande had 11 points and Sara Crane, a freshman from Dos Pueblos High, had
10 points and 12 rebounds for the Vaqueros (4-3). Riverside is ranked No. 12 in Southern
California.
Mercedes Gonzalez racked up eight points and eight boards while Jennifer Jimenez
had six points, eight assists and five steals. The Vaqueros won despite making only
41 percent (11-27) from the free-throw line.
Jasmine Johnson rebounded her own missed free throw and scored to make it 54-51 with
50 seconds to play. Grande made a steal and Leslie Steele converted a free throw for
the final margin.
Thursday, Dec. 1 -- Gilchrist Invitational at Sequoias: San Joaquin Delta 58, SBCC 44 Record: 3-3
Poor shooting sinks Vaqueros
They struggle on free throws in 58-44 setback
SBCC made just 26 percent from the field and 34 percent from the free-throw line on
Thursday in a 58-44 loss to San Joaquin Delta in the first round of the Sequoias Invitational.
The Vaqueros (3-3) converted just 14-of-41 from the charity stripe against the No.
7-ranked team from Northern California. They also committed 40 turnovers. Despite
that, Santa Barbara trailed by just six or seven points most of the game before having
to foul in the final minutes.
“They send us to the line 41 times and I don’t understand how we can’t make more
free throws,” said coach Sandrine Krul. “You have to take advantage of opportunities.”
Leslie Steele led the Vaqueros with nine points while Mercedes Gonzalez and Keia
Nobles had eight. Sara Crane grabbed seven rebounds and Nobles had six.
“The great thing about a tournament is you get to come back the next day and fix
your shooting problems,” said Krul.
Saturday, Nov. 19 -- MTXE Tourney, third place: SBCC 63, Grossmont 60 Record: 3-2
Vaqueros take third in MTXE
Jimenez named to all-tourney team
SBCC built a 16-point halftime lead with deadly 3-point shooting on Saturday afternoon,
then held on for a 66-63 women’s basketball win over Grossmont to claim third place
in the seventh annual MTXE Tournament at the Sports Pavilion.
Katie Grande was a perfect 4-4 on 3-pointers in the first half, when she scored all
14 of her points. The Vaqueros (3-2) led 44-28 at intermission. Leslie Steele added
a trio of 3-pointers for SBCC, which hit 10-of-15 from distance in the first 20 minutes.
Jennifer Jimenez earned all-tourney honors after an 11-point, 6-rebound, 4-assist
performance. Jasmine Johnson had seven rebounds and seven assists before fouling out
with seven minutes to go.
“They put the press on in the second half and Jaz was in foul trouble,” said coach
Sandrine Krul. “We had to move JJ (Jimenez) to the point.”
San Bernardino Valley, ranked No. 5 in Southern Cal, claimed the title with a 72-53
win over Solano. Cerritos took the consolation crown with a 66-52 triumph over San
Diego Mesa. Darsha Burnside of San Bernardino was the tournament MVP.
Grossmont cut SBCC’s lead to two with 40 seconds left. Mercedes Gonzalez (7 points,
7 rebounds) made a free throw, Grossmont missed a trey and Samantha Lugo came up with
a clutch rebound.
“Grossmont is a very disciplined team and we showed great resiliency after our point
guard fouled out,” noted Krul.
The Vaqueros are off until Dec. 1 when they open against San Joaquin Delta in the
16-team Sequoias Tournament.
Friday, Nov. 18 -- MTXE Tourney semifinal: No. 6 San Bernardino 79, SBCC 52 Record: 2-2
No. 6 Wolverines top Vaqueros 79-52
SBCC shoots just 29 percent
San Bernardino Valley built an early 15-2 lead on Friday night and went on to beat
SBCC 79-52 in the semifinals of the MTXE Tournament at the Sports Pavilion.
April Fultz led the sixth-ranked Wolverines (4-1) with 18 points and 6-2 Darshay
Burnside had 13. Katie Grande led the Vaqueros (2-2) with 12 points off the bench.
Leslie Steele had nine points and four assists and Keia Nobles added seven points
and five boards.
SBCC trailed 37-20 at the half. The Vaqueros were outshot 43 to 29 percent and outrebounded
40-23.
“This game is going to help us grow up,” said coach Sandrine Krul. “When you have
a game plan and don’t stick to it, this is what happens. But I’m proud of our effort
and nobody gave up. You’re not going to win games when the other team gets 30 points
on free throws.”
Krul’s team committed 15 of its 26 fouls in the second half. SBVC made 30-35 free
throws in the contest while the Vaqueros were 18-30.
"The effort was there, we just made too many mental mistakes," she added. "It's not
about Xs and Os, it's about being mentally tough when things aren't going your way."
Solano downed Grossmont 68-54 in the other championship semifinal to move into Saturday’s
final against San Bernardino Valley at 3 p.m.
In the consolation semifinals, Cerritos topped Riverside 84-61 and San Diego Mesa
beat Santa Ana 63-45.
The Vaqueros will play for third place at 1 p.m. on Saturday, following the consolation
final between Cerritos and San Diego Mesa at 11 a.m.
Thursday, Nov. 17 -- MTXE Tourney: Santa Ana at SBCC, 7 p.m. SBCC 70, Santa Ana 46 Record: 2-1
Vaqueros roll 70-46 in MTXE opener
Crane has 20 points and eight boards
Sara Crane scored 14 of her 20 points in the second half Thursday night and SBCC
used relentless pressure to rout Santa Ana 70-46 in the opener of its MTXE women’s
basketball tournament at the Sports Pavilion.
The Vaqueros (2-1) jumped out to a 9-1 lead and stretched it to 22-10 on a driving
layup by Crane. The 5-11 freshman from Dos Pueblos High had a season-high eight rebounds,
three steals and two blocks.
“We had our intensity up and we really executed,” said Crane. “We played really well
and executed what we practiced. We listened to our coaches and stayed disciplined.”
The Vaqueros, ranked No. 14 in Southern Cal, outshot the Dons 38 to 23 percent in
the first half while building a 35-23 lead. Interestingly, that was also the exact
score of the second half.
After Santa Ana scored the first second-half bucket, the Vaqueros went on a 20-1
run, fueled by 10 points from Crane. They used their press to make five steals and
turned most of those into points.
Keia Nobles (4 points, 6 rebounds) made a steal and layup, boosting the lead to 55-26
with just under 15 minutes to play. SBCC outshot the Dons 41 to 25 percent for the
game.
Jennifer Jimenez had 10 points and five rebounds and Mercedes Gonzalez added eight
points and seven boards. The Vaqueros won the board battle 48-33.
Leslie Steele chipped in with eight points and Jaz Johnson had seven assists.
“We’re getting better and we played a lot harder than we did in our first two games,”
said coach Sandrine Krul. “Sara does a great job of driving to the basket and she’s
a really good passer. She’s so smart with her decisions.
“We were down three players today and I was so happy with our team effort. That’s
what I love to see.”
In other games, Solano beat Riverside 68-61, Grossmont edged Cerritos 56-53 and San
Bernardino Valley, ranked No. 6 in the state, took care of San Diego Mesa 74-37.
SBCC will take on San Bernardino on Friday at 7 p.m. in the championship semifinals.
Solano and Grossmont will clash in the first championship semi at 5 p.m.
Riverside and Cerritos will clash in the 1 p.m. game on Friday, followed by San Diego
Mesa and Santa Ana at 3 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 11 -- SBCC at Sequoias, 2 p.m. SBCC 57, Sequoias 55 Record: 1-1
Jimenez fuels first Vaquero win, 57-55
She collects 14 points, 7 rebounds
Jennifer Jimenez scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds on Friday afternoon as
SBCC topped Sequoias 57-55 for its first women’s basketball win of the season.
Elia Salazar produced 13 points off the bench on 4-5 shooting, Leslie Steele had
10 points and Jaz Johnson collected nine rebounds. The Vaqueros (1-1) led 27-23 at
halftime of the nonconference game in Visalia.
Salazar made a layup with 4.4 seconds left on an assist from Sara Crane, putting
the Vaqueros ahead 57-55. Sara Crane and Alexis McCord deflected passes on the final
possession, preventing a shot by Sequoias.
Jimenez, a sophomore from Bishop Diego High, had four assists, two steals and took
a pair of charges. Crane contributed five points, six rebounds, four assists and three
steals.
“Our post players came up big defensively against a 6-foot-2 girl who had 18 points
and 19 rebounds the night before,” said coach Sandrine Krul. “She only got 10 today.
“Elia, Sara and Lex McCord made key plays off the bench.”
The Vaqueros led by five points with five minutes left, then fell behind by three.
“We were in the same exact situation we were on Thursday (when they lost 60-59 at
Reedley) but this time, we didn’t lose our cool,” said Krul. “We executed down the
stretch.”
SBCC shot 48 percent in the second half and held the Giants to 28.8 percent for the
game (17-59).
Santa Barbara hosts its own eight-team MTXE Tournament on Nov. 17-19. The Vaqueros
open against Santa Ana on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 10 -- SBCC at Reedley, 5 p.m. Reedley 60, SBCC 59 Record: 0-1
Vaqueros edged in debut, 60-59
Turnovers hurt in loss at Reedley
SBCC had a five-point lead with two minutes to play in Thursday’s season-opening women’s
basketball game but Reedley rallied to nip the visiting Vaqueros 60-59.
Mercedes Gonzalez had 12 points and nine rebounds and Jennifer Jimenez added 11 points
and five boards. The Vaqueros couldn’t overcome 33 turnovers.
“We have 10 freshmen and you’re going to have games like this,” said coach Sandrine
Krul. “This was our first game and Reedley’s third game. We really played hard but
we missed a lot of layups. We have to learn to execute.”
Katie Grande had nine points off the bench of 3-of-5 shooting from 3-point land.
The Vaqueros, who trailed 37-31 at intermission, lost star guard Brooke Berry to an
injury five minutes into the second half.
SBCC shot 40.5 percent from the field but only made 6-17 from the charity stripe.
The Vaqueros led by one with 3.1 seconds left but Reedley drew a blocking foul on
a drive and converted both free throws.
