SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Some players shy away from the bright lights of the Hoophall Classic. Luke Zuffelato runs toward them.
The Santa Barbara senior put the team on his back Friday evening, tallying a game-high 20 points and eight rebounds to power the Dons past Ridgefield (CT) 66-52. Zuffelato, who has built a reputation for clutch shooting over the last month, was named Game MVP, a fitting accolade for a performance that was equal parts efficiency and flair.
From the opening tip, Zuffelato was a mismatch nightmare. He scored at all three levels, punishing defenders in the paint and stretching the floor with deep threes that sucked the air out of the Ridgefield defense. When Ridgefield attempted to double-team him in the third quarter, Zuffelato’s playmaking shone through, finding open teammates to extend the lead.
For a Santa Barbara team looking to make a deep playoff run in California, Zuffelato’s emergence as a bona fide closer is the best news they could have hoped for on this East Coast road trip.