Gauchos lasso Brahmas to advance
by Saddleback College Sports Information
The Saddleback men's basketball team won its opening game of the Southern California Regional Playoffs with a 78-52 win over Los Angeles Pierce College on Saturday night at the Saddleback Gymnasium. The Gauchos were rusty through the opening half before pulling away from the Brahmas.
Saddleback hadn't played in 10 days and for the first 15 minutes it looked like it. The Gauchos struggled against the pressure defense of the Brahmas and missed a number of easy shots in failing to put away an LA Pierce team with limited offensive weapons. Saddleback settled down in the closing minutes of the half, opening up a 29-23 lead behind nine points from Dusty Baker and 46% shooting from the field.
The second half was different, as Saddleback and the three-man referee crew took over the game. The Gauchos shot 58% from the field in the second half as the refs whistled a total of 31 fouls, most of which resulted in free throws. The end result was 28 trips to the charity stripe for Saddleback, with 20 finding the bottom of the net.
Maleke Haynes was the most popular guy at the free throw line, converting 9-of-12 in the second 20 minutes in scoring 14 points on the night. Conor Clifford led Saddleback with 20 points for the game, making all six shots from the field in the second half while going 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Clifford also finished with a team-high 10 rebounds for the game.
Saddleback extended the lead to 15 in the first seven minutes of the second half and Pierce never was able to cut the lead into single digits. The Gauchos pulled away down the stretch as the teams got a bit chippy before the final whistle. Technical fouls were called on both teams and Brahma head coach Ed Babayon, making for a half that ran 20 minutes past the PA announcers scheduled bed time.
Saddleback improved to 29-2 with the win and advances to the regional semifinals on Wednesday night. The Gauchos will host Mt. San Jacinto College, an 87-69 winner over Citrus College on Friday night. Tip time is scheduled for 7:00 PM.
For those that can't make it, the game will be broadcast on the Gaucho Sports Network.
http://saddlebackgauchos.com/sports/mbkb/2014-15/releases/20150301fsvj51