McFadden leads Cats to latest win

The Saddleback men's basketball team won its third straight game with an 81-67 victory at Orange Coast College on Friday night in Costa Mesa.  The Bobcats are now in third place in the Orange Empire Conference (OEC).

Saddleback had too much inside for Orange Coast with the combination of John McFadden and Charlie Stallings.  The duo combined for 47 points and 14 rebounds while lifting the Bobcats to three games above .500 for the first time since November when they started the campaign 5-1. 

McFadden was the ringleader, scoring 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting.  He also collected 11 rebounds and recorded three blocked shots.

McFadden wasn't alone as Stallings was another option that Orange Coast couldn't corral.  Stallings finished with 21 points while recording a game-high 13 rebounds as Saddleback finished with a 40-29 advantage on the glass.

The game started as a defensive struggle as the teams combined for only 15 points over the first seven minutes.  The score remained tight until Saddleback took a lead at the 9:46 mark when Jackson Gray nailed a three-pointer for a 16-13 advantage.  It was the beginning of a Bobcat run, as they opened up a 20-point lead when McFadden made a layup for a 36-16 lead with 3:41 remaining in the opening frame. 

Orange Coast returned the favor with a run of their own.  The Pirates chipped away at the lead and finally evened the score at 43-43 when Isaac Padilla made a dunk with 14:21 remaining in the contest. 

It was as close as Orange Coast would get, as Saddleback finally righted the ship and put together another run.  The Saddleback defense allowed just two points over the next three minutes in building the lead back up to seven points.  One minute later it was an 11-point lead after Stallings nailed a three-pointer for a 58-47 advantage.  The Pirates got within six on two occasions the rest of the way, but could never get any closer.

Saddleback is now 11-7 overall and 4-2 in OEC play.  The Bobcats moved into sole possession of third place in the OEC standings with the win, a half game behind Santiago Canyon and two games behind Fullerton.  Saddleback will play at Fullerton on Wednesday at 6:00 PM, looking to knock off a Hornet squad ranked No. 4 in the state in the latest California Community College Men's Basketball Coaches Association Poll (CCCMBCA).