Gauchos scale Copper Mountain in OEC play
Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Copper Mountain (10-8, 0-2) | 28 | 30 | 58 | |
Saddleback (11-7, 2-0) | 31 | 38 | 69 |
Copper Mountain
Game Statistics | Copper Mountain | Saddleback |
---|---|---|
Field Goals | (23-58) | (24-56) |
Field Goal % | 39.7% | 42.9% |
Rebounds | 39 | 44 |
Assists | 16 | 12 |
Turnovers | 17 | 15 |
Pts off Turnovers | 11 | 17 |
2nd Chance Pts | 4 | 14 |
Pts in the Paint | 24 | 34 |
Fastbreak Pts | 10 | 12 |
Bench Pts | 23 | 17 |
The Saddleback men's basketball team improved to 2-0 in Orange Empire Conference play with a 69-58 victory over Copper Mountain College on Friday night at the Saddleback Gymnasium. The Gauchos pulled away late for their third straight win.
Saddleback and Copper Mountain were locked in a close battle when the Gauchos made a late run to close out the Fighting Cacti. Saddleback trailed 52-50 with under six minutes remaining when they made their move. The Gauchos outscored Copper Mountain 19-6 the rest of the way, clamping down on defense and forcing the Fighting Cacti into a number of difficult shots.
The run started with a pair of three-point baskets from Ryan Beddeo and Captain Whitlock to give Saddleback a six point lead. The two would combine for 12 points in the late run as Copper Mountain had no answers on defense.
Saddleback finished with four players in double-figures as J.J. Overton and Sean Birk led the way with 13 points apiece. However, the most impressive stat line of the night belonged to Whitlock who made 5-of-6 shots from the field in scoring 12 points in 22 minutes of play.
Saddleback now stands at 11-7 overall and 2-0 in Orange Empire Conference play following the win. The Gauchos will travel to play inter-district rival Irvine Valley College next Wednesday, looking to stay atop the OEC standings. Tip-time is scheduled for 5:00 PM in Irvine.