Gauchos too big for Giants in tune-up

The Saddleback men's basketball team played a rare tune-up game to start the New Year before heading into Orange Empire Conference play starting next week.  The Gauchos had a big performance from Conor Clifford in beating College of the Sequoias 64-53 in improving to 17-1.

Saddleback opened the week with news that they had moved into a tie for the top spot in the latest California Community College Basketball Coaches Association state rankings.  The Gauchos proceeded to kick off some rust in the second half in beating a Sequoias team that had athleticism but lacked a lot of height.

Clifford proved to be too much for the Giants inside, scoring 24 points on 11-of-16 shooting.  Saddleback had a decided advantage on the glass as well, outrebounding Sequoias 37-to-30 on the afternoon with Collin Host leading the way with six. 

Saddleback led 24-14 at the intermission as both teams struggled from the field in the first 20 minutes after a holiday layoff.  Both squads came out much hotter in the second half but a 20-4 run midway through the frame opened up a 52-31 lead for the Gauchos and put the game out of reach.  Clifford scored 20 of his points in the second frame, making layup after layup and finishing 10-of-13 in the final 20 minutes. 

Saddleback now heads into conference play riding a 12-game winning streak.  The last time the Gauchos lost was on November 16 in the finals of the San Bernardino Valley College Tournament.  It is the longest winning streak since Saddleback won 17 straight games during the 2013-13 season. 

Saddleback will play next when they host Cypress College on Wednesday night in the OEC opener.  The game is scheduled to be broadcast on the Gaucho Sports Network with a tentative start time of 7:00 PM.