Santa Barbara Holds Off LA Mission 59-46, Wins Third Straight

By AJ Nagbe

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The Vaqueros Women's Basketball team defeated LA Mission 59-46 on Wednesday night at Robertson Gym, extending their win streak to three games and improving to 8-2 in Western State Conference play.

Kaylee Lawson and Khaya Jackson each scored 11 points to lead Santa Barbara, with Lawson hitting three three-pointers and Jackson providing a spark off the bench. Aariah Fox and Siena Hoban added 10 points apiece, with Fox grabbing 14 rebounds and dishing out six assists. Kylee McDougal chipped in 10 points off the bench as five Vaqueros reached double figures in the balanced victory.

Santa Barbara never trailed, building a 14-8 lead after the first quarter and extending it to 32-16 by halftime. The Vaqueros maintained their double-digit advantage throughout the second half, leading by as many as 17 points in the fourth quarter. SBCC shot 37.1% from the field and dominated in the paint, scoring 32 points compared to LA Mission's 20. The Vaqueros forced 23 turnovers and converted them into 14 points, while the bench outscored the Eagles' reserves 22-4 to seal the comfortable 13-point victory.

Coach Sandrine Krul praised the team's depth and balanced scoring following the 59-46 victory. "Another great, gritty performance for our Vaqueros. That puts us at 8-2 with two conference games left," Krul said. "I'm really excited about our bench play because we had Kylee McDougal. She had 10 points, and she just came in ready to play. Her number was called, and she was on it. It was great because we had five players score in double digits."

Krul highlighted Fox's defensive performance against the conference's leading scorer. "Aariah had a tall order. She had to defend the number one scorer in the conference, Heart Lising, number six," Krul said. "She kept her under her average. Aariah had 10 points and 14 rebounds."

Looking ahead to the final stretch of conference play, Krul expressed confidence in her team. "We've got two conference games left, and the team is locked in," she said.

Santa Barbara (19-7, 8-2) travels to Allan Hancock on Saturday, Feb. 14, at 3 p.m. for the Bulldogs' Sophomore Day.