Santa Barbara Holds Off Allan Hancock 69-60, Wins Fourth Straight

By AJ Nagbe

SANTA MARIA, Calif. — The Vaqueros Women's Basketball team held off Allan Hancock 69-60 on Saturday afternoon, winning their fourth consecutive game and improving to 9-2 in Western State Conference play.

Kaylee Lawson and Milan Jackson each scored 14 points to lead Santa Barbara, with Jackson going 10-for-14 from the free-throw line. Aariah Fox added 12 points and pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds while recording six steals. Siena Hoban contributed 10 points and five steals as the Vaqueros dominated defensively with 18 steals. SBCC shot 32.4% from the field but excelled at the free-throw line at 82.6%.

The game featured seven ties and 11 lead changes in a back-and-forth battle. Santa Barbara took a 23-15 lead after the first quarter and extended it to 40-31 by halftime before Allan Hancock closed the gap. The Vaqueros struggled from three-point range, shooting just 10%, but their defensive pressure created opportunities. SBCC forced 28 turnovers and converted them into 30 points while dominating at the free-throw line with a 19-of-23 performance. The Vaqueros' 18 steals and ability to get to the line proved to be the difference in the nine-point road victory.

Coach Sandrine Krul emphasized the significance of the victory following the 69-60 win. "That was a great game. I felt like it was a playoff game," Krul said. "Hancock played absolutely fantastic, and we won 69-60. That is the team's 20th win for this season, but here's the good story: my sophomores, that is their 42nd win combined from last year. We were 22-6 last year, and this year we have 20 wins, so 42 wins combined. The sophomores need to be highlighted in that."

Krul praised the balanced scoring and Jackson's clutch free-throw shooting. "Milan going 10-for-14 from the line was big, and we had four players score in double figures, which was great," she said. "It was like a playoff game because Hancock played super well, but we didn't lose our composure. We just kept chipping away and fixed our issues in the third quarter where shots just weren't going in."

She highlighted the defensive effort that fueled the offense down the stretch. "I always say defensive intensity leads to offensive freedom, and it really is true," Krul said. "This game was about the fourth quarter. We played really good defense, and that led to better offense. When you play really good defense, you have good offense."

Krul emphasized the team's collective effort and rebounding. "I could highlight everyone down the line. It was a team win, and this goes back to winning by committee," she said. "Aariah had 15 rebounds, and I challenged our players to help Aariah in the second half, so it was nice to see Amarisse Camargo off the bench with eight rebounds and KK (Lawson) with seven.

"I'm really excited. They're going to have a couple of days off to regroup mentally and physically, and we'll get back to it on Tuesday."

Santa Barbara (20-7, 9-2) returns home to host Cuesta on Friday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m. for Sophomore Night at Robertson Gym.