SBCC Hands Taft First Loss of Season at Allan Hancock Crossover

By: Aj Nagbe

SANTA MARIA, Calif. — The Vaqueros never trailed, building a double-digit halftime lead and holding off a late Taft rally to hand the Cougars their first loss of the season on Friday with a 74-62 win. 

Kaylee Lawson led the Vaqueros with 20 points off the bench in her first appearance after missing four games. She was a perfect 7-for-7 from the free-throw line. 

Milan Jackson added 13 points, while Kenedy Nutter chipped in 10 and Aariah Fox contributed 11 points to go with a game-high 12 rebounds. 

Amarisse Camargo pulled down 15 rebounds as the Vaqueros matched Taft on the glass at 50 rebounds. 

Santa Barbara seized control early, outscoring Taft 22-12 in the first quarter and taking a 35-23 lead into halftime. 

The Vaqueros shot just 39.7% from the field but dominated the paint with 40 points and capitalized on Taft's 24 turnovers, converting them into 23 points. 

SBCC's bench outscored Taft's reserves 30-18, with Lawson's efficient performance leading the way. 

Coach Sandrine Krul praised the team's composure and preparation following the win, noting Santa Barbara's ability to respond when Taft made a second-half push. 

"We talk a lot about our 'two-and-two' philosophy: scoring and then getting defensive stops, and I thought we did a great job of that," Krul said. "They cut it to eight, but we didn't get rattled. That comes from the preparation we've had playing top, undefeated teams earlier in the season." 

Krul also highlighted the team's rebounding and balance, pointing to Fox and Camargo, who combined for 27 rebounds. 

"They were rebounding the heck out of the ball," she said. "We stayed composed, especially in the first half against their press, and that helped us control the game." 

She added that Lawson made an immediate impact. "That's just another example of everyone buying in," Krul said. "It was a quality win against a very good Taft team, and we're trending up. Our strength of schedule is making us better every game, and now we just want to keep the momentum going." 

Santa Barbara (6-5) looks to carry the momentum into the El Camino Crossover, facing Riverside on Monday, Dec. 15, at 5 p.m.