Gauchos “Lip” off in win over Vikings

The Saddleback men's basketball team improved to 2-0 with an 82-71 against Barstow College on Friday at the San Diego City College Tournament.  The Gauchos received 23 points from sophomore Nik Lipovic, who was red hot from the outside.

Saddleback took a 3-0 lead against Barstow on their opening possession when Lipovic drilled a 3-pointer for a 3-0 lead.  The Gauchos never trailed from that point forward and Lipovic remained hot throughout.  The sophomore from Capistrano Valley High School finished 7-for-12 from long range to finish with 23 points, eclipsing his career-high of 21 points last season against West Los Angeles College.

Joining Lipovic in double-digits was David Dial and Captain Whitlock, who finished with 11 and 10 points, respectively.  Dillon Waikle was a force inside, finishing with team-highs in rebounds (9), assists (6) and blocked shots (2) while scoring six points.

Saddleback led 47-38 at the intermission and extended the lead to as much as 23 points in the second half.  The Gauchos shot 47% from the field for the game while holding the Vikings to 35% shooting.

Saddleback will play again on Saturday when they face Citrus College.  The Gauchos and Owls are set to start at 5:00 PM in San Diego.