SANTA ANA, Calif. - In its 2021-22 season opener on Tuesday night, the Santa Ana Women's Basketball team defeated Santa Barbara City College in a thriller by a score of 72-69. 

The Dons fell behind early and trailed 20-11 after the first quarter but chipped away in the second to cut the lead to just seven points (32-25) at the half. 

Following the break, Santa Ana made a few adjustments including a switch to zone defense to mount a quick comeback. At the 5:38 mark in the third, Chelsea Caldera hit a couple free throws to give the Dons their first lead since the first quarter. 

The two teams went back and forth in the final period which made for an exciting finish. 

SBCC managed to hold the Dons off and held a one point lead at 69-68 with 45 seconds remaining but that would not last long as Dylyn Payne came up big with a deep three, giving SAC a 71-69 lead at the 34 second mark. 

With the lead in hand, the Dons locked in on the defense and stopped the Vaqueros in their last two possessions of the game to seal the victory.

Santa Ana had several players make big debuts including freshman guard Sophia Escalante, who scored a team high 21 points on 9-17 shooting while adding four rebounds and three steals. 

Fellow freshman Chelsea Caldera recorded 15 points, seven rebounds, five steals and four assists for a well rounded performance and Dylan Payne finished the night in double-digits with 12 points along with two steals, two rebounds and a couple of assists. 

The Dons will resume their season on Thursday, November 11th at the Riverside City College Tournament. Game time and opponent is still to be determined.