Gauchos pick up big OEC win

The Saddleback men's basketball team extended its winning streak to eight straight games on Wednesday night with a 56-52 win at Riverside City College.  The Gauchos took over full possession of first place in the Orange Empire Conference with the win after beating their rivals from the 909.

Saddleback knows that going to Riverside is never going to be easy, as the two programs have won the past four Orange Empire Conference titles and look to be well on their way to a fifth.  The Gauchos responded with yet another stellar effort in the defensive end, holding Riverside to 33% shooting for the night in winning on the road in a tough environment. 

Saddleback and Riverside both struggled early, as the Gauchos held a narrow 17-15 lead at the intermission.  The Tigers managed to shoot only 19% in the first 20 minutes, but the Gauchos were unable to capitalize on the other end as they turned the ball over 11 times. 

The two programs came out with a different sense of purpose for the second half and both delivered in the offensive zone.  Saddleback and Riverside both shot 50% from three-point range as the teams traded blows throughout the half.

Saddleback opened up a seven point lead when Carlton Hayes nailed a shot from beyond the arc to give the Gauchos a 22-15 lead with 18 minutes remaining.  Riverside would cut the lead to three a minute later when Dominique Lanier hit a pair of free throws, but the run was short-lived as Saddleback would extend the lead to eight with just under 13 minutes remaining. 

Riverside responded by scoring nine of the next 10 points in tying the game at 32-32 on a three-point-play by Anthony Rounds.  The Tigers would later take their only lead of the game when Lanier made a layup with 1:43 remaining, giving Gaucho fans cause for concern.

Saddleback, however, was poised and didn't let the surge rattle them as A.J. Brevard responded quickly with a three-pointer of his own to give the lead back to the Gauchos at 49-48.  Saddleback then cranked the defense back up over the final 1:30, as Riverside missed 4-of-5 shots to finish the game while the Gauchos iced the game from the free throw line.  Saddleback made 6-of-7 at the charity stripe in closing out the win.

Josh Smith (pictured) led a balanced Saddleback attack in leading the team with 14 points while collecting nine rebounds for the game.  Smith was 12-of-17 from the free throw line and dominant in the defensive zone, finishing with five blocked shots. 

Carlton Hayes registered the games only double-double, finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds on a night when the Gauchos were dominant on the glass, holding a 36-25 advantage for the game.

The win gives Saddleback an 18-4 overall record and a one-game lead over both Riverside and Irvine Valley in the Orange Empire Conference.  The Gauchos will host fourth place Santa Ana on Friday night at the gymnasium.  Tip time is set for 7:30 PM.