Vaqueros Edge Imperial Valley in Playoff Opener
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Overcoming early jitters, Santa Barbara City College battled past Imperial Valley College for a 57-52 victory in the first round of the 2025 3C2A Basketball SoCal Regionals on Wednesday.
Imperial Valley entered the matchup as one of the top defensive teams in the state, allowing just 55 points per game.
Kaylee Bosetti set the tone early, draining three 3-pointers in the first quarter to give the Vaqueros a 17-14 lead.
However, turnovers plagued SBCC in the first half, as they gave up possession 14 times, heading into halftime trailing 27-26.
Adjustments came in the third quarter, as the Vaqueros attacked the basket, put pressure on Imperial Valley's defense, and earned trips to the free-throw line. Despite making just three field goals in the quarter, SBCC capitalized at the stripe, knocking down 9-of-12 free throws to take a 42-40 lead into the fourth.
The game remained tight in the final minutes, but the Vaqueros seized control when Siena Hoban found Amarise Camargo for a clutch 3-pointer with just over two minutes remaining, extending the lead to eight.
"One of the best plays of the game that's still etched in my brain—Siena gave a great pass to Amarise, and she hit that three. That was the dagger," said head coach Sandrine Krul. "That's when I knew. Siena's vision, Amarise's execution—it was awesome."
A hallmark of this 2024-25 Vaqueros team, 11 players saw action, showcasing the roster's depth.
Bosetti led the charge with 16 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, and four steals. Kaylee Lawson added nine points, 10 rebounds (five offensive), five steals, and a block.
Isis Poteet finished with 10 points and seven rebounds (four offensive), while Aariah Fox stuffed the stat sheet with eight points, six rebounds (three offensive), two assists, four steals, and two blocks.
The team stats for the game demonstrated how close it was. Both teams finished with 27 turnovers and 14 assists, while Imperial Valley held an edge in blocked shots at 5-4 and steals at 16-15.
The key difference was on the glass where the Vaqueros dominated the rebounding effort, pulling down 26 offensive boards.
"We controlled the boards. 56-30. That was epic," said Krul. "I'm so proud of this team for staying locked in."
Despite shooting a season-low 26.4% from the field, the Vaqueros hit key shots and remained resilient.
"They didn't get rattled when Imperial Valley made a push. They stayed locked in on our defense and offense," said Krul. "Shout-out to every member of our team—starters, bench, everyone. That's why we won."
With the win, SBCC advances to the second round and will travel south to face No. 6 Palomar College on Saturday at 7 p.m.