Housing and Development Newsletter
A sizable portion of those 20 assists came in transition, especially in the first half. Early in the game, San Marcos opted to full-court press the Dons, but the ball-handling and speed of Saragoza and Caia Trimble allowed Santa Barbara to break the press rather easily.
“We talked before the game that we really wanted to keep the guards out of foul trouble,” said Butcher. “We have two super talented guards, and when we have them on the floor it’s hard to press us”.
To its credit, San Marcos’ relentless defense did seem to fluster Santa Barbara in the first half, as the Dons committed nine turnovers in the half.
Housing and Development Newsletter
In addition, Spence’s length caused Dos Pueblos’ offense problems throughout the game. On a night when Santa Barbara tallied 15 steals, Spence led the way with six, while Caia Trimble contributed with four.
“We have six players back from last year, which gave us a head start on the defensive end,” Butcher said. “We had a lot of quick hands and deflections tonight.”
In their first game in over a year, Dos Pueblos struggled mightily on the offensive end especially in the first half. With the team down 40-12 at the half, coach Phil Sherman said he attempted to get the team to focus on the basics.