Santa Paula Flattens Nordhoff With One, Two Punch

SANTA PAULA — Senior guards Danny Herrera and Joey Riccio combined for 40 points to lead the No. 1-seeded Santa Paula High boys’ basketball team to a 60-48 victory over Nordhoff in a Southern Section Division III-A first-round playoff game Friday night at Santa Paula.

Herrera scored 22 points and made five of six from three-point range. Riccio, a senior transfer from Thousand Oaks, added 18 points.

Riccio’s three-pointer at the buzzer to end the first quarter and a 7-2 run to begin the second quarter gave Santa Paula (21-5) a 26-17 lead with six minutes to play in the first half.

Santa Paula led, 33-26, at halftime and Herrera took over in the third quarter, scoring all of his team’s 12 points and making three three-point baskets.

“Herrera hit some very big three-pointers to give us a lift,” Coach Tom Donahue said.

Nordhoff (10-13) was led by 7-foot center Chris Christoffersen, who had 21 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots. Andy Flores added 15 points for the Rangers.

Mike Kolbeck made a basket with 13 seconds to play in the first quarter to provide Santa Paula with its first lead, 16-15, and the Cardinals never trailed again. Kolbeck, a 6-2 junior who scored eight points, also had the daunting task of covering the towering Christoffersen.

“Kolbeck did a real nice job helping with the double-team,” Donahue said.

It marked the third time this season that the Frontier League champion Cardinals defeated Nordhoff. Santa Paula won its first outright league title in 26 years.

“We started out a little slow because they know us very well,” Donahue said.

Santa Paula will play Cabrillo in a second-round game on Tuesday.