Bobcats open OEC play with a win
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Orange Coast (4-9, 0-2) | 29 | 32 | 61 |
|
Saddleback (7-6, 1-0) | 37 | 42 | 79 |
The Saddleback men's basketball team opened the Orange Empire Conference schedule with a 79-61 victory over Orange Coast College on Wednesday night inside the gymnasium. The Bobcats had five players in double-figures in the win.
Saddleback started slowly, but quickly cranked up the offense is streaking past the Pirates for a win in the OEC opener.
The Bobcats scored just seven points in the opening 8.5 minutes of the game in falling behind 17-7. The cold shooting wouldn't last as Saddleback cranked up the offense over the final 11.5 minutes of the half, outscoring the Pirates 30-12 in the rest of the opening frame. The Bobcats received a big half from Michael Bichel, who led the team with nine first-half points. Meanwhile the Saddleback defense was causing troubles for Orange Coast, who made just 1-of-7 three-pointers in the opening half. The Bobcats closed the half on an 8-0 run as Bichel made a layup and David Mitchell drilled a pair of three-pointers for a 37-29 advantage heading into the locker room.
Saddleback came out hot in the second half and put the game on ice when they outscored the Pirates 11-3 in the opening 2:06 for a 48-32 lead. The lead kept growing and got all the way to 30 in the final six minutes as Orange Coast had a tough time finding the bottom of the net. The Bobcats cruised across the finish line for an 18-point victory.
Saddleback had five players in double-digits on the night. Bickel and Mitchell finished with 13 points apiece to lead the offense. Xerian Anderson added 12 points while T.J. Tittelfitz and Hayden Fletcher scored 10 points each.
Saddleback had a big advantage on the glass, outrebounding the pirates 39-28 for the game. Anderson and Jackson Gray led the Bobcats with eight rebounds apiece.
Saddleback is now 7-6 overall and 1-0 in Orange Empire Conference play following the win. The Bobcats will play again on Friday when they host Santiago Canyon College. Saddleback and Santiago Canyon are scheduled to start at 5:00 PM inside the gymnasium.