Basketball Recap: Cesar Chavez Takes a Loss

If Cesar Chavez was feeling good fresh off their 73-52 takedown of Somerset Academy Losee last Thursday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. 2025 welcomed the Cesar Chavez Champions with a 73-47 loss courtesy of the Santa Barbara Dons on Friday. The contest marked the Champions' lowest-scoring matchup so far this season.

When it comes to explaining why Cesar Chavez lost, don't look at Gabriel Briones. Despite the final result, he posted 17 points and six rebounds. Briones is on a roll when it comes to points, as he's now scored 17 or more in the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Lex Clontz, who had 14 points in addition to five rebounds and three steals.

Santa Barbara's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Luke Zuffelato, who shot 6-for-10 from long range and almost dropped a double-double on 27 points and nine rebounds. That makes it three consecutive games in which Zuffelato has scored at least a third of Santa Barbara's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Carter Battle, who went 6 of 10 on his way to 15 points along with eight assists and eight boards.

Cesar Chavez's loss dropped their record down to 6-6. As for Santa Barbara, the victory was the fourth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 12-3.

Cesar Chavez didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next game, a 61-56 defeat against Canyon on the 4th. As for Santa Barbara, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next contest, a 77-72 loss against Davis on the 4th.