Despite Having Guard Down, No. 1 Buena Rises to Occasion

It would be accurate to say that Buena High posted its 61st consecutive Channel League victory on Tuesday night.

Post players Courtney LaVere and Kelly Greathouse combined for 36 points and 21 rebounds to help the Bulldogs to a 45-32 victory over Santa Barbara at Buena.

On a night when usually steady guards Kelly Murray, Amrit Chima and Kellie Erickson combined to make only three of 25 shots, it was Buena’s towering twosome that produced.

“They did a great job of stepping up tonight,” Murray said of LaVere, a 6-foot-2 freshman, and Greathouse, a 6-3 sophomore.

LaVere finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds and six steals. Great-house, an All-Ventura County selection as a freshman, had 16 points and 10 rebounds.

“They just had an off night,” Greathouse said of the Bulldog guards. “No big deal. Our main focus was defense.”

The defense stifled the Dons, limiting them to 11-for-48 shooting while forcing 14 turnovers.

Buena (15-2, 3-0 in league play) moved to a familiar place, alone atop the standings and on pace to claim at least a share of its 11th consecutive Channel title.

Santa Barbara defeated Ventura last week to establish itself as Buena’s top challenger.

Tuesday night marked the second of three consecutive crucial games for Buena, ranked No. 1 in the region by The Times.

On Saturday, the Bulldogs defeated Crescenta Valley, 60-52, in a showdown of the region’s top two teams. On Thursday, they will host No. 7 Ventura, a team they defeated last month for the championship of the Buena tournament.

“Now that game becomes the biggest game for us,” said Buena Coach Joe Vaughan, whose record at the school is 574-60.

Lauren Brooker scored 10 points for Santa Barbara (11-7, 1-1), which missed Nevada-bound senior Aqueelah Thompson, a 6-2 forward who suffered a season-ending knee injury last month.

Guard Lisa Willett, the Dons’ leading scorer, was limited to seven points.