Mission Falls at the Buzzer to No. 20 Santa Barbara City, 54–52

SANTA CLARA -- Mission College lost a heartbreaker in its 2025-26 home-opener, falling at the buzzer to No. 20 Santa Barbara City College, 54-52.

The Saints (2-1) led by four at the half and by two after three quarters, but a late push from a strong Vaquero (3-0) offense were too much for Mission to handle.

Early in the first quarter, the Saints trailed 12-5 before going on a 7-0 run to end the first period thanks to big play from Maylin Wong and a couple key free throws from sophomore Ashjeet Kaur. Free throws were the differential early on -- Santa Barbary City College missed its first 11 from the charity line, slowing the pace down and allowing the Saints to claw their way back in the game.

Still, the Saints had to put up with solid length on the perimeter from Vaquero forwards, who continued to attack from deep. The Vaqueros took 23 triples, hitting six, drawing the Saints' defense out of the paint.

It also helped Santa Barbara City that Mission was without its top inside-presence, as star sophomore Kaylani Trout-Lacy sat with foul trouble through most of the first half. Head coach Antonio Veloso played freshman Kayla Patton in the post for a majority of the first three periods before adjusting late and playing four guards with Wong as the lone interior presence.

While the Vaqueros snagged 55 rebounds, including 23 on the offensive end, strong Mission College defense prevented any large scoring runs, as the Saints controlled the lead for a majority of the first three quarters.

Sophomore guard Alyssa Lopez was tremendous again, finishing with a team-high 17 points while hitting four 3s. With Mission trailing by a pair in the waning seconds of the third quarter, Lopez isolated to the top of the key and banked in a triple to turn a two-point deficit into a one-point lead.

Mission wasn't able to hold that momentum into the fourth quarter, as the Vaqueros took control and forced a late comeback. Wong was automatic in the final period, hitting a pair of key turnaround jumpers and sinking two free throws to give Mission a late lead.

On the other end, Vaquero guard Aariah Fox evened the score on a putback and Siena Hoban followed with an isolation bucket. With fewer than ten seconds left, Kaur couldn't blow past the terrific interior defense of the Vaqueros and missed a would-be game-tying layup to force overtime.

The defensive intensity is the biggest and best takeaway for the Saints. It's a top-20 Vaquero team that put up 84 points on opening night, ran a true ten-player rotation and has hopes of going far in the Southern California Regional.

Mission takes on Foothill on Saturday at four as the Saints continue their non-conference schedule.