SAN JOSE — Santa Teresa has made a habit of coming back from big deficits at home this season.

Just last Wednesday, the Saints trailed Westmont by double digits before coming back to win in overtime. Last Friday, they trailed by 21 before beating Willow Glen 91-88. 

But there would be no such comeback on this Friday night in San Jose. This time, Santa Teresa welcomed in league-leading Christopher, and the Cougars took a 36-24 lead into the halftime break.

Christopher mashed the accelerator from there, winning the third quarter 22-5 to go up by 29 points. That was too many for even Santa Teresa to come back from, and the Saints lost 75-43.

“I knew in the second half, we had to really be on point,” said Christopher coach Adam Sax. “Being connected on defense, because I think they hit 13 threes in the second half in one game. So we knew that they were very capable of coming back. We definitely had to be ready to go.”

That they were. The Cougars (19-2, 9-0) were the best team in the Blossom Valley Athletic League’s Mt. Hamilton Division entering Friday, and they looked like it against a team that has quickly gained a reputation for slaying the best teams in the league.

Where other opponents found themselves at the mercy of Santa Teresa’s second-half magic, Christopher instead threw a knockout punch. It’s hard make a late-round comeback when your back is flat on the canvas.

“We felt pretty good at halftime only being down 12,” said Santa Teresa coach Patrick Judge. “But then they come out in the second half and our first five possessions, we had four turnovers, all of which led to easy layups. That’s tough, to go from 12 to 20. That’s pretty tough to come back from, especially against a good team like Christopher.

“We like the comeback. But Christopher is too good of a team. Too big, well-coached, good guards. Hats off to them.”

No individual performer overwhelmed Santa Teresa (10-12, 4-6 BVAL) on Friday. The Cougars instead came in waves, overcoming the Saints with the excellence of their depth.

Center Jaxen Robinson led Christopher with 22 points, doing his work down low and at the free-throw line. Quinn Ledesma-Old Elk and Anton Mendezona each chipped in 11 points. 

Sam Guenther also reached double figures with 10 points, and Tyler Green added nine.

“We had a lot of returning guys from last year,” Sax said. “We’ve got six seniors, so it’s an experienced group. So they really connected, and the chemistry has always been great. We don’t have that one transcendent player that scores over 20 points a game every day. It’s a little bit different.”

Whatever works. In a gym where so many strong teams have stumbled this year, the Cougars’ supremacy ensured there was never a doubt in the second half. It was Santa Teresa’s first home loss in league play this season.

“This gym is dark and cold,” Sax said. “So this is a tough place to play, especially when they get hot. So I was hoping we’d control the first half. And hopefully, they don’t have the same legs. Hopefully, they get a little tired by the second half. We’ve been more of a defensive team all year. That’s our strength.”

Christopher managed to deep Santa Teresa’s deep shooting at bay while also preventing the Saints from getting into the paint. Santa Teresa’s leading scorer, Gabe Deason, put up just 13 points. Ayden Bobbitt, the Saints’ second-leading scorer, was held to 10.

Santa Teresa’s Ayden Bobbitt (5), shown in a file photo, was limited by Christopher’s defense on Friday in San Jose. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) 

“Our goal was to eliminate the paint touches, paint penetration,” Sax said. “So I thought we did a better job on that. And contest the shots. They’re going to make some, because they’re pretty good shooters. But I thought we did that.”