Hoops, he did it again! California kid beats buzzer for 2nd straight game with 3-pointer to win Hoop Hall West game

Cool Hand Luke Zuffelato, grandson of former NBA executive/coach, slow plays heroics this time to drill top-of-the-key 3-pointer to give Santa Barbara another improbable win, this one over Tucson Magnet

Santa Barbara's Luke Zuffelato can do it all including drive to the hoop and dunk, but his forte of late is game-winning 3-pointers as he pulled off for a second straight game Thursday at the HoopHall West Classic in Phoenix. / Photo: Mike Bouffard

This is getting a little ridiculous. But Luke and Greg Zuffelato are not complaining. Either are their Santa Barbara High School Dons or their fans.

Greg, the dad and coach, three days ago drew up and variance of the old Duke/Christian Laettner last-second play and his son Luke pulled it off for a stunning 75-74 home win over prep basketball factory Sierra Canyon.

His off-balance, 25-footer off one foot shot made national reels not only because of the difficulty of shot, but the fact the Dons beat a team that spanked them by 44 points the year before and annually boasts a smattering of sons of NBA players on its roster.

• AGAINST ALL ODDS | The shot heard/seen all 'round Santa Barbara

This year's Sierra Canyon squad features Bryce James, son of The King LeBron James, so Luke's 3-pointer in front of a packed house Monday ignited a spontaneous basketball mosh pit inside SBHS's cozy JR Richards gymnasium.

On a sleepy Thursday in Phoenix at the Hoophall West Classic in front of a few dozen folks at Mountain View High School, all was much more subdued. It was a slow motion version of Monday with not much more than some celebratory slow claps for yet another improbable three-point, buzzer-beating Zuffelato make and a Santa Barbara 53-52 victory over local squad Tucson High Magnet School.

"He did it again," Greg Zuffelato texted. "We didn't play real well, it wasn't super exciting or pretty, but we found a way again. Any win is a good win."

The Badgers, yes the Badgers, looked like it had the game in the bag with a two-point lead and two free throws that would have largely iced it.

Fortunately for the Dons, both free throws missed, and with about 16 seconds left, it seemed an eternity compared to the 2.8 seconds that remained Monday when it trailed Sierra Canyon 74-72 and had the length of the court to pull off a minor miracle.

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The strategy in the huddle was basically "hand the ball to Luke and let him go."

It's not like Luke Zuffelato is that much better than most high school players, but he's pretty darned good. He's also the grandson of longtime NBA assistant coach and executive Bob Zuffelato.

The 6-foot-6 point guard averaged a school record 27.7 points per game last year and this year with a lot more balance and threats, he entered averaging almost 24 points along with 12.4 rebounds and 6.0 assists.

The lad likes to create and dish and with weapons like seniors Diesel Lowe (14.3) and Carter Battle (13.8) and sophomore Owen Horn (7.8), among others, the Dons have options and is why they came in averaging almost 80 points per game.

But this was Arizona hold 'em, without the playing cards.

"There is a shot clock in Arizona and (the Badgers) used every second of it," coach Zuffelato said.

So with far less urgency, Luke methodically brought the ball up, fired a jump pass to Battle, who casually took a couple dribbles before passing back to Zuffelato well above the top of the key. It was just him isolated against scrappy 5-8 senior guard Bryson Abalos, who immediately poked the ball into the back court.

This wasn't the acrobatic shot that won Santa Barbara's improbably 75-74 victory over Sierra Canyon, but it was one of many spectacular plays from the Dons' Luke Zuffelato, who finished with a game-high 31 points. / Photo: Mike Bouffard

"When I looked up at the clock there were five seconds left so I knew I had time," Zuffelato said. "With that much time and space I figured I would have to change directions."

Zuffelato drove hard immediately right where he was met with a double team parallel to the top of the key.

No big. Especially against a defender giving up almost a foot in height.

Looking like a warmup drill before a game, or at a park by himself manifesting a game-winning moment, Zuffelato went smoothly behind his back to the left and in perfect rhythm, five-feet beyond the top of the key, he let it fly.

Unlike Monday's shot that banked home, this one swished right through the net like butter.

Buzzer.

Ball game.

Santa Barbara 53, Tucson Magnet 52.

"I really didn't know what to do or say (after the shot)," Luke Zuffelato said.

He gave no Michael Jordan shrug and his teammates seemed more amused than surprised, as if to say: "Of course he did. Why not?"

Zuffelato skipped around a little, but with a sparse crowed there was no reason to flail a fist or protect himself from being mobbed, as was the case on Monday.

What was most noticeable was how calm and confident Zuffelato was in this do-or-don't spot. Dare we say he resembled a 2025 version of Cool Hand Luke.

"I guess the more you get in those situation the better chance you have to succeed," Zuffelato said.

He finished with 24 points, Lowe and Battle combined for 18. The 53 points scored were a season low for the Dons, but they improved to 11-3 anyway. They play Ceasar Chavez of Laveen (Ariz.) in a semifinal Grand Canyon Division game 6 p.m. Friday.

The winner plays the winner of Davis (Utah) and Canyon (Calif.) for the championship Saturday 7:30 p.m. at Mountain View High School.