The Varsity Dons traveled to Marin to take on the Panthers from San Domenico, and came away with a 54-49 win.

In the first quarter, the Dons’ offense started slowly, scoring just 9 points.  However, their rebounding was strong, with Aidan Bodner, Scott Ruegg, and Jake Davis combining for 7 boards.

 Down by 1 point at the start of the second quarter, the Dons adjusted their game. They continued rebounding and added inside passes for a string of layups. The Dons outscored San Domenico 16 to 11 and took the lead 25-21 going into halftime. 

The second half opened with more great team play. Scott banked in a 2-pointer to start the Dons‘ offense, which scored 15 points in the third quarter.  Defense continued to be strong, with steals by Theo Stoll, Aidan, and Scott, and rebounds by John Kalli, Jake, Aidan, and Scott. The third quarter ended with the Dons up by 40-31.  

The fourth quarter started with great rebounding, but the Dons were unable to score. A couple minutes in, fans saw Scott steal the ball and make a fast break to the basket, which started the Dons’ 12-point quarter. Aidan took a charge and then was back on the floor for a jump ball. The Dons got back in rhythm. San Domenico was tenacious and fought back to within 1 point with 17 seconds left. A key rebound by Aidan led to a solid ending by the Dons, with Graham Smith, Theo, and Aidan scoring the last 5 points of the game on free throws. 

Scott led the offense with 16 points, followed by Graham and Theo each with 11, and Jake with 8. 

See video highlights here https://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/acalanes-dons-(lafayette,ca)/basketball/home.htm

The Dons face Frontier High from Bakersfield Friday night in the second round of the San Rafael Tournament.