Gauchos looking to domesticate “dogs” in finals

The Saddleback men's basketball team will be looking for a third state championship on Sunday when it meets East Los Angeles College in the title game at Cerritos College.  The Gauchos and Huskies have played on 18 occasions, each winning nine times.

Saddleback is the top seed from the south and advanced with a thrilling 75-68 overtime victory over Cañada College on Friday night.  East Los Angeles was the No. 2 seed from the south and defeated Merritt College 94-83 in the opening semifinal.

East Los Angeles won games over Antelope Valley, Southwestern and Long Beach City in making it to the tournament and has won eight straight games and 11 out of its last 12.  The Huskies finished in second place in the South Coast Conference North Division behind Mt. San Antonio College, who sat atop the state rankings for most of the regular season.  East Los Angeles is tied for 10^th in the state in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) following the win on Friday and was rated No. 13 in Southern California in the final Coach's Poll in mid-February.  East Los Angeles is 5-5 against the top-10 RPI programs from the south.  A win on Sunday would be the first state championship in men's basketball for the Huskies, who are making just their second tournament appearance ever.   

Saddleback defeated Los Angeles Pierce, Mt. San Jacinto and San Bernardino Valley en route to the state tournament and has won 11 straight games heading into the finals.  The Gauchos won their fourth straight Orange Empire Conference championship in 2015 and have now been in the playoffs in 23 of the past 25 years.  Saddleback is currently No. 2 in the RPI after the win on Friday and was ranked No. 2 in Southern California and No. 4 in the state in the final Coach's Poll.  The Gauchos are 10-1 against the top-10 RPI programs in the south.  Sunday will mark the sixth time the Gauchos have played for a state title, winning championships in 2002 and 2010. 

Much like Saddleback's first opponent of the state tournament, East Los Angeles can score with the best of them.  The Huskies rank No. 6 in the state in scoring, averaging 82.5 points-per-game.  They have scored in triple-digits twice during the season and 90-or-more points on 10 occasions.  The problems for East Los Angeles College come in the defensive zone where they rank 75^th in total defense, surrendering 74.6 points-per-game. 

Saddleback prefers to play the other style of basketball, ranking No. 2 in the state in total defense (56.5).  The Gauchos have held opponents to 60-or-less points on 19 occasions this season, with a state-best 35.8% shooting from the field.  Meanwhile, Saddleback ranks No. 25 on offense, scoring 74.1 points-per-game.

East Los Angeles has a trio of players averaging in double-digits led by guard Marcus Romain (18.1).  The sophomore (pictured left) shoots 44% from three-point range and 53% from the field, making 71% of his free throws. He was joined by guard Je'Ron Primus on the All-South Coast First Team while forward Primitivo Gomez was a second team selection, scoring 8.6 points-per-game.  The Huskies also have power forward Marquis Salmon averaging 11.5 points, forward Richard Bivens 9.3 and guard Te'shon Burton 8.6, making for a difficult unit to defend.

Saddleback had all five starters make the All-Orange Empire Conference First Team led by center Conor Clifford.  The conference MVP averages 14.6 points and 6.2 rebounds-per-game, shooting 64% from the field and 71% from the free throw line.  The Gauchos have two others scoring in double-figures with Dusty Baker (12.1) and Andrew Bournes (10.7), who are both are among the leaders in the state in three-point shooting.    Forward Collin Host does a little of everything, averaging 8.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists-per-game.  The man controlling the attack is point guard Maleke Haynes, who scores 7.4 points-per-game while dishing out 4.1 assists.

Game time on Sunday is scheduled for 1:00 PM at Cerritos College.  Please arrive early as a big crowd is expected for the finals.