7/19/10: Men’s basketball 2010-11 schedule released
 The 2010-11 Saddleback men’s basketball schedule has been finalized and released and the defending state champions will open the season at home on November 12 against College of the Canyons. The Gauchos will play in five tournaments before opening Orange Empire Conference play against arch rival Riverside College on January 5.
Saddleback enters the 2010-11 campaign with a target on their backs after winning the state title in March. The Gauchos are 58-13 under third year coach Andy Ground, with two straight appearances in the state title game.
Saddleback has two new tournaments on the schedule this season as they will travel to Modesto for a tournament on December 9-12 and to Allan Hancock on December 28-30. The Gauchos generally play in the Riverside Classic around mid-December but with renovations being done to the Riverside Gymnasium, the tournament has been canceled for the year and Saddleback will play in Modesto instead.
Saddleback will open Orange Empire Conference play on the road at Riverside, in what has become one of the top rivalries in the state. Riverside and Saddleback have won the past two state titles after battling it out on conference play during the course of the season.
The Gauchos open the season at home against College of the Canyons on November 12. Opening tip is set for 3:00 PM.
7/15/10: Myles is the latest Gaucho to sign
 The men’s basketball team was back in the news this week when it was announced by the coaches that guard De’Andre Myles has committed to Cal State Dominguez Hills. Myles is the seventh commitment to 4-year programs for the 2009-10 state champion Gauchos.
Myles was an instrumental part of the Saddleback success this past season, playing well down the stretch when the Gauchos needed him the most. He made 7-of-8 free throws in the state title game against City College of San Francisco and made 16-of-20 in the playoffs. Myles played sparingly during the early parts of the season, but averaged over 22 minutes-per-game over the last five games of the season.
Myles will join forward Robert Curtis at Dominguez Hills, an NCAA DII program playing in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. The Toros finished 16-12 overall in 2009-10, losing in the opening round of the CCAA Tournament.
Gauchos Commitments for 2009-10:
De’Andre Myles, G, Cal State Dominguez Hills
Kyle Wallace, G, San Francisco State
Tyler McManaman, G, Western State College
Perry Webster, G, Cal State Fullerton
Robert Curtis, F, Cal State Dominguez Hills
T.J. Lipold, G, Westmont College
Nathan Gibbs, F, Fairleigh Dickinson
6/29/10: Wallace is headed to the Bay Area
 The Saddleback men’s basketball commitments took another step forward when the basketball office announced earlier this week that guard Kyle Wallace has committed to San Francisco State University. It is the sixth commitment for the Gaucho program after winning the state championship in March.
Wallace finished the season averaging 6.1 points and 2.7 rebounds-per-game in 2009-10, shooting 71% from the free throw line. He may be best known for making the winning free throw in the state semifinal game with 14.2 seconds remaining in the game against Citrus College, giving the Gauchos their first lead of the contest.
San Francisco State plays in the California Collegiate Athletic Conference, finishing 17-14 overall last season.
Wallace joins five other Saddleback players in committing to 4-year universities.
Kyle Wallace, G, San Francisco State
Tyler McManaman, G, Western State College
Perry Webster, G, Cal State Fullerton
Robert Curtis, F, Cal State Dominguez Hills
T.J. Lipold, G, Westmont College
Nathan Gibbs, F, Fairleigh Dickinson
6/21/10: McManaman is the latest Gaucho to commit
 The men’s basketball team had a tremendous season in 2009-10, winning the California state title and finishing 29-5. The offseason has gone just as well for the Gauchos, as guard Tyler McManaman became the fifth Saddleback player to commit to a 4-year college or university with his commitment to Western State College late last week.
McManaman was second on the team in scoring, averaging 10 points-per-game on the season while shooting 49% from the field. He was clutch down the stretch for the Gauchos, averaging 14.7 points while hitting on 8-of-18 three-pointers in the playoffs.
McManaman transferred to Saddleback from Iowa Central College after graduating from Northeast High School in Nebraska. He will now head to Western State College, which is located in Gunnison, Colorado. The Mountaineers are an NCAA DII program, playing in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
McManaman becomes the fifth Saddleback player from the 2009-10 squad to commit to a 4-year college or university since the end of the season.
Gaucho Commmits:
Tyler McManaman, G, Western State College
Perry Webster, G, Cal State Fullerton
Robert Curtis, F, Cal State Dominguez Hills
T.J. Lipold, Westmont College
Nathan Gibbs, F, Fairleigh Dickinson
5/18/10: Nathan Gibbs the latest cager to sign
 The Saddleback men’s basketball team saw its commitments rise to four for the year when the basketball office announced that Nathan Gibbs has signed a letter of intent. The sophomore from Texas will continue his basketball career at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey.
Gibbs played a vital role in the Gauchos winning the state championship in March when he scored nine points with four rebounds as Saddleback defeated City College of San Francisco for the title. He averaged 6.5 points-per-game during the season and was fourth on the team with 88 rebounds in 2009-10. Gibbs scored a season-high 16 points on two occasions during the season and twice collected eight rebounds in a game.
Gibbs joins Perry Webster, T.J. Lipold and Robert Curtis as players that have signed letters of intent to play at a four-year university.
Fairleigh Dickinson is located in Teaneck, New Jersey, and plays in the Northeast Conference.
Perry Webster, G, Cal State Fullerton
Robert Curtis, F, Cal State Dominguez Hills
T.J. Lipold, Westmont College
Nathan Gibbs, F, Fairleigh Dickinson
4/30/10: Webster inks deal with Cal State Fullerton
 The Saddleback men’s basketball team received more good news this past week when the coaching office announced that sophomore guard Perry Webster has signed a letter of intent to play at nearby Cal State Fullerton in the coming years. Webster is coming off a banner performance in the state tournament when he was named Tournament MVP.
Webster joins T.J. Lipold (Westmont College) and Robert Curtis (Cal State Dominguez Hills) in committing to a four-year university following the state championship. Fullerton coach Bob Burton had great things to say about his new point guard.
“I am excited and thrilled to welcome the premier point guard in the California community college ranks to the Titan family,” Burton said. “I have always been a Perry Webster fan and his new teammates and Titan fans will also become his fans. Perry knows how to play the point guard position and he will offer great leadership both on and off the court. Perry will be a great Titan.”
Webster graduated from Mission Viejo High School and played at Irvine Valley College in 2007-08. He redshirted at Saddleback in 2008-09 before leading the Gauchos to the state championship in 2009-10.
Webster averaged 11 points, four rebounds and 5.1 assists during the course of the season, but it was down the stretch where his presence was really felt. He averaged 15 points and 6.3 assists during the state tournament, controlling the tempo of every game and being named Tournament MVP.
4/27/10: Lipold signs with Westmont College
 A big piece of the men’s state championship basketball team committed to a 4-year university over the weekend when the basketball office announced that sophomore T.J. Lipold has committed to Westmont College in Santa Barbara. Lipold was an All-Orange Empire Conference selection this past season and signed a letter of intent with the Warriors.
Lipold was a big part of a Saddleback team that captured the state championship in March and known for his toughness on the defensive end. Westmont coach John Moore was excited about the arrival of the gritty sophomore.
“T.J. is all about toughness and he will add some toughness to our Westmont program that will make us a much better team,” Moore said. “I believe part of the reason Saddleback won the state tournament was the different roles that T.J. played for the team. He is a consummate winner and I can’t wait to coach him.”
Lipold had other offers from Hawaii-Hilo and Texas A&M-International, but says Westmont was a good fit for his game.
“I felt really comfortable with the situation and I cannot wait to get their and start working with the team,” Lipold said.
Lipold averaged 4.7 points-per-game and 3.6 rebounds-per-game in 2009-2010 in 30 games.
Westmont College is an NAIA affiliated program, and plays in the Golden State Athletic Conference.
3/14/10: Gauchos defeat San Francisco for 2009-10 state title
 The Saddleback men’s basketball season finished its miracle ride on Sunday when it held off a solid City College of San Francisco team to capture the California community college state championship. The Gauchos darted out to an 11 point lead and held off the Rams for a 63-57 win, capturing the schools second state title in nine years.
Perry Webster was named the tournament MVP after finishing with 19 points and seven assists, consistently frustrating the Rams in the offensive zone as he controlled the tempo of the game from the outset. Tyler McManaman (left) and Robert Curtis were also named the all tournament team, as Saddleback became the second straight No. 4 seed from the south to win the state title.
 San Francisco looked like a team in shock when Saddleback jumped out to a 13-2 lead with under 11:00 minutes remaining in the first half. The Rams battled back in a ferocious manner, taking a brief lead at one point before the Gauchos snatched back a 3-point lead heading into the intermission. The teams traded baskets and free throws for the majority of the second 20 minutes, with neither team able to force its will. In the end, Saddleback made all its free throws down the stretch as the Gauchos made 13-of-14 from the charity stripe to close the game.
 Saddleback finishes the season at 29-5 and finally gets a chance to celebrate after losing in the state title a year ago. It was the third appearance in the state championship game for the program in nine years.
For the Gauchos, they displayed a tremendous amount of poise and tenacity…outhustling, outshooting and outmaneuvering the competition at every turn. Saddleback once again echoed the concept that offense sells tickets and defense wins championships, holding three teams that came into the tournament averaging 77 points-per-game, to 51 points for the weekend. While opponents were looking to run the court and look like the Showtime Lakers of the late 80’s, Saddleback was perfectly happy to be the 1985 Chicago Bears, digging in defensively and playing arguably the best defense the tournament has seen in decades.
For head coach Andy Ground, it was his second straight 29-win season as he now stands at 58-13 through two seasons, appearing in the state title game in his first two years at the helm. Ground’s ability to get his players to dig in and play defense at a time when players value a highlight clip on Sport Center over post-season hardware is to be commended. He controlled the tempo of every game with the leadership of point guard Perry Webster, who was a thorn in the side of every player he faced, and controlled the clock with a timeout when the opponents looked ready to grab the momentum.
 Webster averaged 15 points, 6.3 assists and four rebounds-per-game during the tournament, but it was his ability to get into the head of his competition and control the tempo that was critical. His brash, but calculated style of play was a constant source of frustration for the opponents, but one that his teammates rallied behind as they entered every game as the consensus underdog.
Joining Webster on the all tournament team was McManaman and Curtis, who at times were as impressive as Webster.
McManaman led the Gauchos in scoring in three of the five playoff games,  averaging 14.6 points-per-game, shooting 48% from the field and making 8-of-18 three-pointers. He transferred into the program from Iowa Central College to make a name for him self, and did just that with his slashing style of play and timely shooting. McManaman had a number of key baskets during the playoff run, but no basket was more important than the 6-foot runner from the baseline with 12 seconds remaining in the state title game. After looking to pass the ball to Webster and De’Andre Myles, who were both well covered by San Francisco defenders and time running down on the shot clock, McManaman decided to do things all himself, driving to the right of the key and hitting nothing but net from the right side of the basket. The timely hoop gave the Gauchos a four point lead and ended up being the final dagger  for the Rams, who had been running on empty and walking on eggshells for five minutes.
A number of Saddleback players were likely to have gained four-year scholarships over the weekend, but nobody saw his stock rise more than Robert Curtis. The 6-foot-9 power forward was a walking mismatch for most of the tournament, completely dominating the final 10 minutes of the semifinal win over Citrus College. Curtis finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds against Citrus and shot 75% from the field in the tournament, creating a buzz amongst the bevy of scouts in attendance.
In closing, the 2009-10 Saddleback team proved to be the ultimate lunch pail crew, as nearly every member of the team had their day in the limelight during the course of the season. Never was that more evident than this morning (Monday), when sophomore guard T.J. Lipold showed up at the athletics office looking to work out in the weight room just 15 hours after winning the state championship. It has long been said that it takes talent to win, but never underestimate the heart of a champion. It is nice to see that an honest, hard-days work still has its place in the world.
Congratulations Gauchos, champions of California community college basketball for 2009-10!!!
3/14/10:
Saddleback vs. San Francisco, for a chance at history
The Saddleback men’s basketball team has been turning back the doubters for two straight weeks and will get a chance to make history on Sunday when they meet City College of San Francisco for the state title on Sunday at California Lutheran University. The Gauchos will try for redemption, after falling in the state title game a season ago.
 Saddleback has won five straight games against teams rated in the top 20, with four of them coming against teams rated in the top-7, according the RPI ratings. Yet on Sunday when the Gauchos lace it up against CCSF (28-4), the consensus feeling in the building is that the boys from the Bay Area have been the best team in the tournament. It is a familiar role for Saddleback, and one that the Gauchos have relished in recent weeks.
Saddleback is making its third appearance in the state title game in nine seasons and looking to shelve the disappointment of losing to Riverside in the 2008-09 state title game. The Gauchos will once again have to face a hot team in San Francisco, who upended the south's No. 1 seed San Bernadino Valley on Saturday. The Rams have won six straight games, including Saddleback rival Irvine Valley College in the quarterfinals.
The game will feature two teams with conflicting styles, as San Francisco would like to get out and run while the Gauchos will look to control the tempo with solid defense and execution in the half-court offense. Interesting of note is that the last two losses of the season for San Francisco came against Ohlone College, a team that the Gauchos dismantled on Friday and a team that also likes to slow things down.
Saddleback will have its hands full in the defensive end as the Rams have a bevy of athletic players, including 6-foot-7 forward Da’Ron Sims, who has arguably been the top player in the tournament thus far. Sims averaged 11.9 points-per-game during the season and has scored 30 points in the tournament, with a number of acrobatic moves around the bucket. Saddleback will try to counter inside with a trio of 6-foot-9 bodies, including Robert Curtis (above), who had scouts throughout the building buzzing following his performance against Citrus.
The San Francisco talent doesn’t stop at Sims, however, as the Rams have a number of other scorers, including sharpshooter Bennie Rhodes, who led CCSF in scoring during the season with 14.8 points-per-game. Rhodes is a 42% three-point shooter and makes 77% of his free throws, on a team that made 35% from behind the arc on the season.
Game time is set for 3:30 PM.
Inside the Numbers:
San Francisco (28-4 overall, 9-3 Coast North T-2nd)
Offense 75.6 ppg
Defense 64.0 ppg
FG Shooting 47%
3-Pt Shooting 35%
FT Shooting 66%
Rebounds 37.7 rpg
Against Top-10 (RPI) 3-4
Against Top-20 (RPI) 4-4
Against Top-25 (RPI) 6-4
Worst Loss vs.22-8 Foothill (63-72, Jan. 15)
Saddleback (28-5, 9-3 Orange Empire T-2nd)
Offense 68.9 ppg
Defense 60.2 ppg
FG Shooting 44%
3-Pt Shooting 33%
FT Shooting 65%
Rebounds 34.1 rpg
Against Top-10 (RPI) 6-4
Against Top-20 (RPI) 8-4
Against Top-25 (RPI) 10-4
Worst Loss vs. 14-16 Santa Ana (56-57, Feb. 17)
3/13/10: Gaucho comeback provides a San Francisco treat
 The Saddleback men’s basketball team completed a stunning comeback on Saturday night in the state semifinals when they shocked the Citrus Owls with a come-from-behind 55-54 win to advance to the state title game on Sunday afternoon. The Gauchos never led until Kyle Wallace (left) made a free throw with 14 seconds remaining, and held on for the win to meet City College of San Francisco for all the marbles in the championship game at California Lutheran University.
Saddleback looked like a team out of synch for most of the game, but managed to keep Citrus within and arms length despite struggling from the field for the first 30 minutes of the game. The Gauchos then nipped away at the Owls behind a solid performance by power forward Robert Curtis (right), who seemingly grabbed every rebound over the last 10 minutes of the game.
Curtis and the Gauchos dug in defensively over the final eight minutes, holding Citrus to just 1-of-9 shooting from the field after the Owls had grabbed a 50-42 lead with 7:59 remaining on the clock. Curtis had four rebounds and  five points during that span, finishing with 21 points and 13 rebounds for the night, as the Owls had no answer for the big man out of Capistrano Valley.
Saddleback also received a fine performance from Perry Webster, who finished with 18 points on 5-of-12 shooting, and was 6-for-7 from the free throw line, making a number of crucial plays down the stretch. Yet despite the fine performances by Curtis and  Webster, it was Wallace who made the biggest shot of the game when he drained the back half of a two-shot foul to give Saddleback its first lead of the game with just 14.2 seconds remaining in the game.
Citrus would get one more chance to turn back the Gauchos in the finals seconds, but Keith Thompson would miss twice from inside of 10 feet for the Owls, and the Gaucho celebration was on.
Saddleback (28-5) advances to the state title game for the second straight season and the third time in nine years. Citrus ends its season at 29-3 with the loss.
Next up for the Gauchos is a date with City College of San Francisco in the state championship game at 3:30 PM.
3/13/10: Citrus another tall order for the Gauchos in the semis
 The Saddleback Gauchos have had their share of ups and downs in recent weeks, but straight wins over Orange Empire Conference champion Riverside College and Coast South champion Ohlone College in the playoffs has the Gauchos on the edge of something special. Saddleback will face another tall task on Saturday in the state semifinals when they face Western States South champion Citrus College for the right to play in the state championship game on Sunday.
Some said the Gauchos were unlikely to get out of the regional playoffs after being seeded in a regional with arch nemesis Riverside College. Others said Saddleback would have a tough time handling the defensive pressure of Ohlone College on Friday in the state quarterfinals. Now, the Gauchos have the difficult task of knocking off a Citrus team that comes into the game riding a 19-game winning streak. How quickly people have forgotten that it is Saddleback, not any of the above, that has now advanced the state semifinals for the seventh time in 10 years after undressing the north’s No. 1 seed by 14 points on Friday afternoon in Thousand Oaks.
 If the Gauchos are going to get back to the state title game, however, they are going to have to go through a Citrus team loaded with talent. The bottom line is, Citrus may have the most balanced team in the state as all 12 players average at least 11 minutes of playing time-per-game and all have scored in double figures at one point during the season.
The Owls had the conference co-MVP in guard Jose Rivera, who can do a little of everything. Rivera averaged 10.8 points-per-game while shooting 41% from three-point range for the season. A trio of other Citrus players were named to the first team all conference list led by 6-foot-6 forward Keith Thompson, who led the Owls in scoring with 11.6 points-per-game. Randy Hunter is another athletic 6-foot-6 forward who led Citrus with seven rebounds-per-game while 6-foot-5 guard DeAndre Haskins averaged 9.6 points-per-game.
If there is a team that can match bodies with the Owls it may be the Gauchos, who also have tons of inside depth and a number of players that can hurt you from the outside. Saddleback has a rotation of inside talent and is likely the biggest team in the state, with four 6-foot-9 players on the roster. The recent emergence of point guard De'Andre Myles has taken a lot of pressure off of Perry Webster when it comes to ball handling and slashing guard Tyler McManaman has recently gotten hot from the field, leading the Gauchos with 17.3 points-per-game in the playoffs.
Inside the Numbers:
Citrus (29-2 overall, 12-0 Western State South Champions)
Offense 81.5 ppg
Defense 67.1 ppg
FG Shooting 43%
3-Pt Shooting 35%
FT Shooting 63%
Rebounds 43.1 rpg
Against Top-10 (RPI) 3-1
Against Top-20 (RPI) 7-1
Against Top-25 (RPI) 8-2
Worst Loss vs.22-7 Sequoias (87-90, Dec. 11)
Saddleback (27-5, 9-3 Orange Empire T-2nd)
Offense 69.3 ppg
Defense 60.4 ppg
FG Shooting 44%
3-Pt Shooting 33%
FT Shooting 65%
Rebounds 34.2 rpg
Against Top-10 (RPI) 5-4
Against Top-20 (RPI) 7-4
Against Top-25 (RPI) 9-4
Worst Loss vs. 14-16 Santa Ana (56-57, Feb. 17)
3/12/10: Saddleback stuns North No. 1 to advance to final four
 The Saddleback Gauchos looked like a team on a mission for most of the afternoon on Friday, defeating Ohlone College, 57-43, to advance to the final four of the state tournament. The Gauchos will face Citrus College tomorrow night (Saturday) in the semifinals at 7:00 PM at California Lutheran University.
Saddleback jumped out to a 10-1 lead to start the game and clamped down on the No. 1 team in the North in advancing to the tournament semifinals. The Gauchos were dominant in the defensive end, holding the Renegades to just 31% shooting for the game. Ohlone compounded its shooting woes from the field by making just 9-of-20 free throws in the second half, making their chances of a comeback slim. 
Saddleback darted out to an early lead when they made 6-of-11 three-pointers in the first 20 minutes of play. The exclamation point came on a shot from the corner by Tyler McManaman at the buzzer, giving the Gauchos a 13 point lead at the intermission.
McManaman and Robert Curtis would lead a balanced Gaucho attack with 12 points apiece. Ohlone big man Reggie Jones led the Renegades with 12 points in a losing effort.
Saddleback improved to 27-5 overall and will play in the final four for the seventh time in 10 seasons. The Gauchos will play Citrus College, who defeated San Jose City College 74-53 in the late game of the day.
Ohlone finishes the season 24-5.
3/8/10: Gauchos to meet Ohlone in state quarterfinals
 The Saddleback Gauchos men’s basketball team did the unthinkable on Saturday night when they traveled to Riverside City College and defeated the Tigers in their own den to advance to the state tournament. For Saddleback, it was the second victory over RCC in three weeks and puts them in the state tournament for the seventh time in 10 years.
The Gauchos are headed back to a familiar place...the state tournament. The Saddleback team will take a crack at the No. 1 seed from the north, Ohlone College, on Friday at 3:00 PM in the quarterfinals at California Lutheran University. The opening game of the tournament features inter-district rival Irvine Valley College, who opens the tournament against City College of San Francisco at 1:00 PM. If somehow both teams were to win its first two games in the tournament starting Friday, a potential all-district final could be set for Sunday.
First things first for the Gauchos, who must defeat an Ohlone team seeded No. 1 in the north and rated No. 1 by the coaches in the northern half the state. The Renegades have the No. 6 RPI rating and enter the tournament with a 24-4 record, finishing 11-1 in the Coast North Conference. Ohlone was 11-3 against teams rated in the top-25 in the state, winning a conference with two other teams that made it to the state tournament (San Francisco & Foothill).
 The Renegades are led on offense by 6-foot-9 center Reggie Jones, who averaged 14.6 points-per-game and was the MVP of the Coast North Conference. Jones doesn’t go to battle alone, however, as Ohlone has four other players that were named to the all conference team. Guard Scott Clark and forward Lavon Gray were both first team selections, averaging 10.8 and 8.2 points-per-game, respectively. In addition, guards Quaran Johnson and Ronnie Sawyer both were second team All-Coast North selections, with Sawyer being second on the team with 11.8 points-per-game.
 The Gauchos will counter with three all conference selections in forward Robert Curtis and guards T.J. Lipold and Perry Webster. Lipold is a force on the defensive end and lifted Saddleback with a big 3-point shot against Riverside while Webster leads the Gauchos in scoring (11 ppg) and 3-point shooting (44%) for the season. Curtis has been a beast on the glass in recent weeks, leading the team with 5.6 rebounds-per-game for the season.
Ohlone and Saddleback are very similar, as both are very good on the defensive end of the court. Ohlone had the No. 2 defense in the state during the season while Saddleback was No. 3. The Renegades only surrendered 58 points-per-game for the season, forcing a ton of turnovers and making easy baskets in transition. Ohlone averaged 9.3 steals-per-game and shot 49% from the field for the season.
Inside the Numbers:
Ohlone (24-4, 11-1 Coast North Champions)
Offense 73 ppg
Defense 58 ppg
FG Shooting 49%
3-Pt Shooting 32%
FT Shooting 67%
Rebounds 34.2 rpg
Against Top-10 (RPI) 5-1
Against Top-20 (RPI) 9-3
Against Top-25 (RPI) 11-3
Worst Loss vs. 14-13 Cabrillo (64-67, Nov. 25)
Saddleback (26-5, 9-3 Orange Empire T-2nd)
Offense 70 ppg
Defense 61 ppg
FG Shooting 44%
3-Pt Shooting 33%
FT Shooting 65%
Rebounds 34.3 rpg
Against Top-10 (RPI) 4-4
Against Top-20 (RPI) 6-4
Against Top-25 (RPI) 8-4
Worst Loss vs. 14-16 Santa Ana (56-57, Feb. 17)
Game time tipoff is set for 3:00 PM at California Lutheran University. The address for CLU is 60 W Olsen Rd., Thousand Oaks, CA 91360. The following link is a mapquest link to the location of the campus. Cal Lutheran
3/6/10: Lipold once again lifts Saddleback to state tournament
For the second straight season, T.J. Lipold has made a big shot to move Saddleback into the state tournament. This time around, Lipold hit a 3-pointer in overtime to give the Gauchos a 4-point lead in beating arch nemesis Riverside College, 73-69.
Saddleback was considered an underdog by many to get back to the state tournament once it was announced they would have to go through Riverside to get there. They would have to face an RCC program that had been a thorn in the side of the Gauchos over the past two seasons, ending the Saddleback dream a year ago when they defeated the Gauchos in the state title game and then capturing the conference title this season. Saddleback, however, had different plans and a bit of momentum going into the game after defeating Riverside two weeks back in Orange Empire Conference play.
Tyler McManaman scored 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting as the Gauchos finally answered their shooting woes against RCC, making 47% of their shots from the field after shooting just 33% in their two meetings this season. McManaman, however, would foul out late in the game along with Wendell Faines and Perry Webster, leaving Saddleback shorthanded for the overtime period.
Saddleback led by one with less than 20 seconds remaining in overtime when DeAndre Myles found Lipold open in the corner. Lipold’s shot quickly silenced the bias RCC crowd when it caught nothing but net, giving the Gauchos a 4-point lead with 18 seconds remaining. After a pair of free throws from Nathan Gibbs, Saddleback led by six when Riverside buried a 3-pointer from 40-feet with five seconds remaining to get the Tigers back within three. Kyle Wallace then iced the game when he made the front end of a 1-and-1 in the waning moments.
Donovan Buford led Riverside with 20 points before fouling out along with teammate Daniel Redmon, as the two teams combined for 54 fouls and 74 free throws.
For Lipold, it was the second straight season he has made a big 3-pointer to lift Saddleback to the state tournament. Last season he made a 3-pointer with 14 seconds remaining in a 1-point win over Chaffey College in the regional finals.
For the Gauchos, it was sweet revenge for Riverside ending their season a year ago and capturing the conference title this season. With the win, Saddleback advances to the state tournament next Friday-thru-Sunday at California Lutheran University. The Gauchos will face Ohlone College at 3:00 p.m. on Friday in a state quarterfinal matchup.
3/5/10: Gauchos and Tigers will battle one more time
Saddleback and Riverside have had some titanic battles over the years in men’s basketball and Saturday night the Gauchos and Tigers will resume their rivalry with a spot in the state tournament on the line. Saddleback is hoping to return the favor to Riverside for ending their season a year ago, but will have to win on the road to make it happen.
Saddleback head coach Andy Ground and Riverside head coach John Smith have gotten to know one another in the past two seasons, as their teams are set to play their sixth game against each other in the last 14 months. Riverside has won three of the five games heading into Saturday’s regional final, including an overtime win in the state title game last season.
  Fresh in the Gauchos’ minds, however, is a 57-53 win at Riverside three weeks back, when the Gauchos held the Tigers to 35% shooting, dominating on the glass by a 46-37 count. On that night, Riverside made only 3-of-17 three-pointers while Saddleback made it to the free throw line 37 times.
Saddleback will need more of the same on the defensive end if they are going stifle Riverside for a second time, including defending one of the top forwards in the state in Kevin Bradshaw. The 6-foot-8 sophomore scored 29 points in two games against the Gauchos in 2009-10, and had 17 rebounds in the process.
Saddleback will also have to figure out a way to penetrate a Tiger defense that has allowed the Gauchos just 109 points in two games, shooting a measly 33% from the field and 27% from three-point range. Perry Webster has been the only Gaucho that has somewhat gotten on track against the Tigers, scoring 29 points in two games on 9-of-16 shooting from the field.
Game time is set for 7:00 PM at Wheelock Gymnasium in Riverside.
2/26/10: Gauchos stumble but hold on for playoff victory
 It was wrapped up, then unwrapped. It was sealed, then unsealed. It was a sure thing, then not quite a sure thing. And with one-half of one second remaining in the contest, it was like Deja Vu all over again.
Tyler McManaman's free throws with six minutes to play gave Saddleback a nine point cushion (59-50) and the Gauchos were clicking on all cylinders. Robert Curtis' free throw with just over two minutes to play kept Saddleback up by six points (60-54). But the Gauchos, normally a 66 percent free-throw shooting team, missed nine free throws in the final 2:14 to allow Chaffey to hang close. McManaman made one of two free throws with :03 on the clock to give Saddleback a 66-64 lead, then knocked the full-court pass out of bounds into the Panthers' bench with one-half of one second on the clock. Both teams exchanged time outs to figure out what the last play would be.
Saddleback lost to Santa Ana on a shot at the buzzer just nine days earlier which ultimately denied Saddleback the Orange Empire Conference title and one of the top four seeds in the post-season playoffs. It couldn't happen again to knock the Gauchos out of the playoffs, could it?
Oddly enough, Chaffey's inbound pass to 6'7" forward Mo Hughley was caught outside the key near the perimeter and his desperation shot was nowhere close to the basket, allowing the Gauchos to gasp and sigh and move on to the regional finals against the winner of Saturday's matchup between Riverside and Los Angeles Valley colleges.
McManaman finished with 16 points for the Gauchos while Perry Webster added 14 points. DeAndre Myles (5'11") came off the bench to add nine points, five rebounds, and one incredibly important blocked shot which he returned the length of the court for a layup, giving Saddleback a five point lead with eight minutes to play and snapping a 2:20 scoreless streak by both teams.
2/25/10: Gauchos versus Chaffey a clash in styles
 The Saddleback men’s basketball team will open the playoffs against Chaffey College on Friday night at home at 7:00 PM. The two teams will look to control the tempo of the game and impose their will, looking for a spot in the regional finals.
Saddleback enters the game as the No. 3 defensive team in the state, surrendering just 61 points per game. Chaffey enters as the No. 6 offensive team, averaging 81 points per game. It is a classic battle between conflicting styles, and in all likelihood, the two teams will likely meet somewhere in-between on Friday night, with one moving on to the regional finals.
Saddleback and Chaffey met in the regional finals a season ago, and the Gauchos shocked the Panthers when (then freshman) T.J. Lipold buried a 3-pointer with 14 seconds remaining to give Saddleback a 63-61 win, thus ending the Chaffey season. The Panthers would love to turn the tables this time around, making it a track meet for 40 minutes and controlling the tempo with a pair of all conference sharpshooters.
Sophomores Anthony Cammon (upper right) and Matthew Wallace (lower left) were both All-Foothill Conference selections following the season and led the Panthers in scoring throughout the season. Cammon led Chaffey with 15.6 points-per-game, shooting 43% from the field and making good on 81% of his free throws. Wallace was nearly his equal, averaging 13.4 points-per-game while shooting 42% from 3-point range.
  Saddleback will turn up the defensive pressure with all conference selection Lipold, who has been clamping down on the opposition all season. The Gauchos will also look to control the tempo on the glass, with a rotation of inside talent that includes honorable mention All-OEC selection Robert Curtis. Perry Webster will look to continue his late spree of 3-pointers, shooting 45% on the season from beyond the arc while leading Saddleback with 10.9 points-per-game, thus earning all conference recognition.
The two teams will tip it off at 7:00 PM. For those that cannot make it to the game live, it will be available on streaming video on the Gaucho Sports Network for a minimal fee.
GO GAUCHOS!
2/24/10: Saddleback vs. Chaffey live on GSN
 The Saddleback men’s basketball home playoff game versus Chaffey College this Friday will be broadcast live on the Gaucho Sports Network via streaming video, starting with the pregame at 6:55 PM. If you cannot make it to the game in person, GSN has got you covered with live action from Saddleback Gymnasium as the Gauchos try to make another run at the state tournament.
Game Information:
#6 Saddleback (24-5, 9-3 Orange Empire t-2nd) vs. #11 Chaffey (19-8, 10-4 Foothill t-2nd)
Date: February 26, 2010 Tipoff: 7:00 PM
Site: Saddleback Gymnasium
Broadcast: Gaucho Sports Network (pay-per-view, $8)
Play-by-Play: Brad Hoiseth
2/23/10: Lipold and Webster headline All-OEC honors
The Saddleback men’s basketball team was well represented with post-season honors when it was announced that both T.J. Lipold and Perry Webster were named to the Orange Empire Conference First Team over the weekend. Joining Lipold and Webster was Robert Curtis, who was named honorable mention.
Lipold and Webster were two of the sophomore leaders of the 2009-10 Gauchos, as Lipold was used to clamp down on opposing scorers with his tenacious defense while Webster led the team in scoring.
Lipold averaged 4.9 points-per-game on offense while doing a solid job on the boards, grabbing 3.6 rebounds. Another sign of his ability to do the little things was his 73% shooting from the free throw line. Lipold had a season-high 17 points against Orange Coast College on January 8.
Webster led the team with 10.9 points-per-game, leading the conference with 45% shooting from three-point range. He also tied for the conference lead with 5.2 assists-per-game and had a season-high 30 points against Palomar College on December 30.
Curtis was part of a large rotation of inside talent for the Gauchos in 2009-10 and made his presence known inside. Despite only playing 13.5 minutes-per-game, Curtis finished 12th in the conference in rebounding (5.8 rpg) and averaged 7.1 points. He scored in double-figures nine times, including a season-high 18 points against Santa Monica College on December 18.
All three of the Gaucho all conference selections will let it fly when the Southern California playoffs begin this Friday night as Saddleback hosts Chaffey College at 7:00 PM.
2/22/10: Gauchos seeded No. 6 for SoCal playoffs
The Saddleback men’s basketball team found out on Monday that they were the No. 6 seed for the upcoming Southern California playoffs, which start this week. The Gauchos will open up on Friday night against No. 11 Chaffey College at home at 7:00 PM.
Saddleback and Chaffey did not play this season but many may remember the Gauchos and Panthers playing in the regional finals last season, with Saddleback prevailing 63-61. In that game, T.J. Lipold drained a 3-pointer with 14 seconds remaining as the Gauchos advanced to the state tournament.
If successful on Friday night, Saddleback would likely play Orange Empire champion Riverside College in the regional finals, provided the Tigers get past the winner of Mira Costa and Los Angeles Valley on Saturday night.
2010 Southern California Pairings
Wednesday, February 24
No. 17 Moorpark at No. 16 Los Angeles Pierce
No. 20 Miramar at No. 13 Antelope Valley
No. 19 MiraCosta at No. 14 Los Angeles Valley
No. 18 Santa Ana at No. 15 Los Angeles Trade Tech
Friday, February 26
No. 9 Southwestern at No. 8 Bakersfield
No. 12 Cerritos at No. 5 Mt. San Antonio
No. 11 Chaffey at No. 6 Saddleback
No. 10 Mt. San Jacinto at No. 7 Cuesta
Saturday, February 27
Moorpark-LA Pierce winner at No. 1 San Bernardino Valley
Santa Ana-LA Trade Tech winner at No. 2 Citrus
MiraCosta-LA Valley winner at No. 3 Riverside
Miramar-Antelope Valley winner at No. 4 Irvine Valley
2/19/10: Gauchos stun Lasers in regular season finale
The Saddleback men’s basketball team finished the regular season in fine fashion on Friday night with a 44-41 win over Irvine Valley College at Saddleback Gymnasium. The Gauchos overcame a six point deficit in the final minutes to keep the Lasers from winning the Orange Empire Conference championship.
Saddleback trailed 36-30 with just over five minutes remaining before going on a 14-5 run to close out the game. DeAndre Myles was big down the stretch, draining a 3-point shot with 36 seconds remaining to give the Gauchos a 41-38 lead. He later made two free throws with four seconds remaining to ice the game. Myles led Saddleback with 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting, including 2-of-4 from behind the arc.
The game was a hard-fought defensive struggle throughout, with both teams having a tough time penetrating the opposing teams’ defense. Saddleback finished 39% from the field while IVC could only manage 35% shooting for the game. The Lasers also struggled from the free throw line, making just 4-of-11 on the night.
Saddleback finishes the regular season 24-5 overall and 9-3 in Orange Empire Conference play with the win. Irvine Valley finishes the season 24-4 overall and 9-3 in OEC play. Both teams will wait for the Southern California tournament pairings, which will be announced on Monday.
2/17/10: Santa Ana stuns Gauchos at the buzzer
The Santa Ana Dons had nothing to play for entering Wednesday night’s game at Saddleback and nearly shut the door on the Gauchos’ Orange Empire Conference title hopes with a 57-56 win over a Saddleback. Thurman Woods drained a shot for Santa Ana at the buzzer as the Dons severely hurt Saddleback’s chances of winning a conference title.
Wendell Wright scored 13 points and Yama Kader and Roderick Ulmer scored 10 apiece as Santa Ana nearly blew a seven point lead with four minutes to play. Saddleback made a ferocious comeback down the stretch, led by Perry Webster, who finished with 14 points. Webster drained a 3-pointer to cut the lead to one and later made a rebound layup with 26 seconds left to give the Gauchos a one point lead.
Santa Ana brought the ball down the court and had a shot blocked out of bounds with eight second remaining. After both teams traded timeouts, Santa Ana inbounded the ball to Wright, who passed the ball to Woods on the left wing, about 20 feet from the basket. Woods’ shot left his hand with just under a second remaining and caught nothing but net, thus shattering the Gaucho comeback.
Saddleback is now 23-5 on the season and 8-3 in Orange Empire Conference play with the loss. The Gauchos will finish the regular season at home against Irvine Valley College, with an outside chance of winning the conference title. Saddleback would need a loss from Riverside College tonight against Cypress College, combined with a win over IVC on Friday night to capture the title. Opening tip is scheduled for 7:30 PM.
2/5/10: Saddleback men power past Cypress
The Saddleback men’s basketball team jumped out to a quick lead and never looked back in beating Cypress College, 93-60, on Friday night at Saddleback Gymnasium. The Gauchos led by 13 at half time and by more than 30 for most of the final 10 minutes of the game.
Johnel Gray and Perry Webster guided the Gauchos on offense, scoring 18 points apiece on a combined 11-of-20 shooting from the field. Gray made 3-of-5 from 3-point range while Webster was lethal at guiding the offense, finishing with nine assists.
Saddleback was equally dominant on the boards, outrebounding the Chargers 48-29 for the night. Five Gauchos finished with at least five rebounds, led by Nathan Gibbs with eight.
Saddleback improved to 22-4 overall and 7-2 in Orange empire Conference play with the win, remaining within striking distance of first place Riverside, who entered the night with a two-game lead on the Gauchos. Cypress falls to 12-14 overall and 3-6 in OEC play with the loss.
1/29/10: Gauchos end slide with win over Fullerton
 The Saddleback men’s basketball team ended a two-game losing streak with a 65-48 win over Fullerton College at Saddleback Gymnasium on Friday night. The Saddleback offense once again sputtered for 30 minutes before finding its way out of a funk in pulling away from the Hornets.
Wendell Faines had a stellar night inside for the Gauchos, scoring a season-high 22 points on the night. Faines was a beast inside for Saddleback, finishing with 14 rebounds and three blocked shots on the night.
The Saddleback offense entered the night in a funk over the past two games and looked as if it might stick around for another night. The Gauchos shot just 33% in the first half but finally found its range down the stretch, shooting 48% in the second 20 minutes. Saddleback finished the night at 40% from the field.
Saddleback improved to 20-4 on the season and 5-2 in Orange Empire Conference play with the win. The Gauchos will play next on Wednesday night when they travel to Orange Coast College to play the Pirates at 7:30 PM.
1/28/10: Shooting woes continue for men’s basketball
Two nights after having one of their worst shooting nights of the year, the Saddleback offense once again sputtered as the men’s basketball team fell to inter-district rival Irvine Valley College, 58-47, on Wednesday night at IVC. The Gauchos looked good for the first 20 minutes before shooting just 23% in the second half.
Saddleback came out of the gate quickly, making 11-of-23 shots in the first half after a disappointing night from the field on Monday night against Riverside College. In the second half, however, it once again seemed as if a lid was on the basket as the Gauchos made just 6-of-26 shots, including 0-for-9 from three-point range.
Tyler McManaman led the Saddleback attack with 13 points before fouling out of the game in the second half of play. Nathan Gibbs led the Gauchos with six rebounds.
Durrell Norman led all scorers for IVC with 28 points, including 11-of-13 from the free throw line as the Gauchos were whistled for 11 more personal fouls than the Lasers in the contest.
Saddleback (19-4, 4-2) will play again at home on Friday night when they host Fullerton College (9-14, 1-5) at 7:30 PM.
1/26/10: Men’s basketball falls to Riverside
In a much anticipated rematch of last year’s state championship game, the Saddleback men’s basketball team experienced an off-shooting night in falling to Riverside College, 60-52. The Gauchos made a solid comeback after falling behind early, but were unable to find their range from the field, shooting just 31% on the night.
Perry Webster led the way for Saddleback, finishing with 14 points on 3-of-6 shooting from the floor. The rest of the team, however, made just 13-of-45 shots (29%) as the Tiger defense was stifling, forcing the Gauchos into 22 turnovers.
Riverside never trailed in the game that was originally scheduled to be played last Wednesday, but was postponed due to minor leaks in the roof as a result of the heavy storms over Southern California last week. The Gauchos fell to 19-3 overall on the season and are 4-1 in Orange Empire Conference play. Saddleback will play again on Wednesday night when they travel to Irvine Valley College for an inter-district rivalry game against the Lasers.
Riverside improved to 18-4 overall and 6-0 in OEC play with the win. The Tigers have a bye on Wednesday before hosting Cypress on Friday evening.
1/20/10: Heavy rain postpone basketball games
 Torrential rain in Southern California has postponed the heavily anticipated basketball games between Saddleback and Riverside College due to minor leaks in the ceiling of the gymnasium. The games have tentatively been rescheduled for Monday.
Sorry for the inconvenience and we hope to see you on Monday when two of the top teams in Southern California try it again. Men at 5:30 p.m. and women at 7:30 p.m.
1/19/10: State title rematch on GSN
The Saddleback Gauchos versus Riverside Tigers basketball doubleheader on Wednesday, January 20, will be broadcast live on the Gaucho Sports Network starting at 5:25 PM. Both the men and women’s games will be available for a minimal fee via streaming video for those that cannot make the trip to Mission Viejo.
The early game will feature a rematch from the men’s state championship game when No. 6 Saddleback (18-2) hosts No. 7 Riverside (16-4). Both teams are primed to make another run at an Orange Empire Conference title in a rivalry that has grown by leaps and bounds over the past decade, as both teams always seem to be in the hunt. Last season Saddleback prevailed in winning the conference title before falling to Riverside in the state title game, 69-60, in overtime. 
The women’s game is scheduled to tip off at 7:30 PM and also has the potential to be a tight battle. The Gauchos (10-11) have been playing better basketball as of late and would nothing more than to upset the No. 12 Tigers (15-6), who have plans of winning an Orange Empire Conference title. The two teams played tight battles in 2008-09, with Riverside winning both times.
Saddleback and Riverside can be viewed on the Gaucho Sports Network for a minimal $10 fee by signing up for the broadcast at the following link. The one-time fee will purchase both games of the doubleheader.
Please be sure to follow the instructions carefully once you have subscribed and understand that this is a live event, and will not be available for purchase following the event. You will need Windows Media Player to view the event. Just a reminder to those that sign up early, the broadcast will not go on the air until 5:25, so programming will not be available until that time.
Event: Basketball
Date: January 20, 2010, 5:25 PM
Game: Saddleback versus Riverside (doubleheader)
Play-by-Play: Brad Hoiseth
Camera: J.W. Hoiseth
Fee: $10
1/19/10: Mulligan memorial set for February 7
 A memorial service for former Saddleback men's basketball coach Bill Mulligan is planned for Sunday, Feb. 7, at 10:30 a.m. at the Bren Events Center on the UCI campus, according to his son, Brian.
Mulligan, who passed away January 12 at the age of 79, was the Gauchos' head coach from 1975-80 and built Saddleback into a basketball powerhouse. He posted an overall record of 136-31 during his five seasons with the Gauchos, including four conference titles and four straight trips to the state tournament.
He had coached at Long Beach Poly HS and Riverside Community College before his coaching stint at Saddleback College. When he left Saddleback he spent the next 11 years as the head coach at UC Irvine and wrapped up his coaching career with three seasons at Irvine Valley College as the Lasers' first coach.
In lieu of flowers, the family is accepting donations for the continuous needs of the disabled, Brian Mulligan said.
Checks can be made out and sent to Dorothy Mulligan, San Clemente Villas by the Sea, 660 Camino de Los Mares, Apt. 224; San Clemente, CA 92673.
1/15/10: Gauchos credited with forfeit victory over Desert
College of the Desert announced today that it was forfeiting a number of contests due to the use of an ineligible player who had played in most of the team's games. One of those forfeits was a 67-63 floor victory over Saddleback on December 9 in the opening round of the Wells Fargo Tournament at Riverside. That was the only loss during the tournament for the Gauchos who went on to win the next three games and capture the consolation title.
The victory improves Saddleback's overall record to 18-2.
1/12/10: Former Coach Bill Mulligan Passes Away
Former Saddleback College men’s basketball coach Bill Mulligan passed away Tuesday morning at the age of 79.
Mulligan was hired on to coach the Gauchos prior to the 1975-76 season and immediately brought Saddleback into the forefront amongst the state’s top community college programs, leading his first team to a 22-8 record and a second place finish in the Mission Conference. It was the first time a Saddleback team had won 20-or-more games in a single season. Mulligan’s teams went on to win the Mission Conference title for the next four years, qualifying for the post-season playoffs and reaching the state tournament each of those seasons. His 1978-79 team finished second in the state and the next season his Gauchos were undefeated heading into the state semifinals before getting upended and denied a return trip to the finals, finishing the season at 34-1. He posted a record of 136-31 during his five seasons at Saddleback.
Mulligan left Saddleback to coach at UC Irvine, heading that program for 11 seasons (1980-91) and leading the Anteaters into the NIT tournament in 1982 and 1986. When he left Saddleback, he took Saddleback’s outstanding center Kevin Magee with him to UC Irvine. Magee averaged 29.3 points and 13.2 rebounds during the 1979-80 season at Saddleback and went on to earn All-America honors for UC Irvine, averaging 26.3 points and 12.3 rebounds during his two seasons with the Anteaters.
Mulligan coached at Riverside Community College for nine seasons (1966-1975), compiling a record of 196-87, before moving over to Saddleback. He came out of retirement to coach the Irvine Valley College team for three seasons (1992-95) before retiring from coaching for good.
He was inducted in the California Community College Men’s Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1991, the UC Irvine Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998, and the California Community College Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.
Memorial service plans are pending.
1/8/09: Gauchos blast Pirates in conference home-opener
 The Saddleback men’s basketball team improved to 2-0 in Orange Empire Conference play with a comfortable 91-75 win over Orange Coast College on Friday night at Saddleback Gymnasium. Saddleback darted out to a 19-point lead midway through the first half and never looked back.
The Saddleback defense clamped down on the Pirates in the first 20 minutes, holding Orange Coast to just 23% shooting from the field. The Gauchos led by as many as 30 points early in the second half before taking their foot off the gas pedal.
Freshman guard Taylor Cunningham (pictured) led Saddleback with 16 points while sophomore guard Tyler McManaman added 14. Saddleback shot a blistering 62% from 3-point range, connecting on 8-of-13 shots for the night.
The Gauchos improved to 16-3 for the season with the win and will play next on Wednesday at Cypress College at 5:30 PM. Orange Coast fell to 6-11 overall and 0-2 in OEC play with the loss.
1/5/09:
Men’s basketball enters conference play with high expectations
 The men’s basketball team opens up conference play on Wednesday night with high expectations the rest of the way. The Gauchos are rated No. 8 in the state and primed to make a run at the Orange Empire Conference title.
Saddleback finished the pre-conference schedule with a 14-3 record, playing five games against teams rated in the top-20 in the state. The lone losses on the season so far came against No. 2 Irvine Valley (60-69), No. 10 Mt. San Antonio (69-83) and unranked College of the Desert (63-67). The Gauchos have scored big wins over No. 15 Mt. San Jacinto (68-61) and No. 10 Mt. San Antonio (71-62) along the way, winning both the Grossmont College and College of the Desert tournaments while finishing second in both the Bill Brummel Classic and Fullerton Tournament. They also captured the consolation championship of the Riverside College Tournament, winning three of four games.
Saddleback opens Orange Empire Conference play against Fullerton College on Wednesday night at 5:30 PM. The Hornets enter conference play at 8-9 on the season.
Saddleback is currently rated No. 8 in the state and No. 5 in Southern California. Other teams from the OEC ranked in the top-20 include No. 2 Irvine Valley (15-1) and No. 7 Riverside (12-4). The Gauchos will face IVC down the road on January 27 on the road at 5:30 PM and will host Riverside on January 20 at 5:30 PM. The game against RCC will be available live on the Gaucho Sports Network for a minimal fee for those looking to watch the game but cannot make it to the gymnasium.
12/31/09: Gauchos win Desert tournament title
 The Saddleback men's basketball team captured the championship of the College of the Desert Holiday Tournament with an 88-76 victory over Palomar College on Wednesday. The victory improves Saddleback's record to 14-3 on the season as the Gauchos head into Orange Empire Conference play in January.
The men will travel to face Fullerton on Wednesday, January 6, and then return home to host Orange Coast College on Friday, January 8. Both games are scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.
No stats were available from the Desert tournament.
12/30/09: Saddleback men to play for Desert tourney title
 The Saddleback men's basketball team (13-3) will play for the championship of the College of the Desert tournament when the Gauchos go up against Palomar tonight at 5:00 p.m.
The Gauchos got some revenge against Mt. San Antonio in the opening game, handing the Mounties a 71-62 setback. Mt. San Antonio is one of the teams to have defeated the Gauchos earlier this year in the finals of the Fullerton tournament.
Saddleback defeated Glendale Community College of Arizona in the semifinals, 86-71, in order to reach the championship game against Palomar. The Gauchos and Comets have not met this year.
No statistics were available for any games of this tournament.
12/19/09: Irvine tops Saddleback for Brummel title
 Saddleback had trouble getting on-track offensively and couldn't keep pace with an Irvine Valley squad which shot nearly 50 percent from the field (21 of 44) as the Gauchos fell to the district rival Lasers, 69-60, in the title game of the Bill Brummel Classic.
Perry Webster led Saddleback with 12 points but the Gauchos had trouble at the offensive end and were also frustrated on defense, committing 32 fouls and losing starters TJ Lipold and Wendell Faines who fouled out along with sharp-shooting reserve Johnel Gray.
Saddleback center Robert Curtis (left) made the all-tournament team.
12/18/09: Saddleback to play Irvine Valley in tournament finals
Saddleback defeated Santa Monica College 65-46 in the semifinals of the Bill Brummel Classic and will now face district-rival Irvine Valley College on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. in the tournament finals. Irvine Valley was able to edge San Bernardino Valley 69-66 in the other semifinal on Friday afternoon.
The Gauchos (11-2) saw Robert Curtis (Capistrano Valley HS, pictured left) come off the bench to lead the team with 18 points (8 of 11 shooting) and 10 rebounds while Tyler McManaman added 15 points and Wendell Faines added 10 points while also grabbing seven rebounds.
Both teams battled fiercely in the first half with Saddleback holding a slim 29-25 lead at halftime, but the Gauchos' defense forced Santa Monica to put up several off-balance shots in the second half and the Corsairs also struggled at the foul line, shooting just 31 percent from the charity stripe (9 of 29).
Irvine Valley's Travis Fulton had 23 points to pace the Lasers (13-1) in their win over San Bernardino Valley to set up the district showdown. It will be the first of at least three meetings between the two schools over the next two months.
In other tournament games scheduled for Saturday, Cypress and Miramar will meet at 12:00 noon for the consolation title and San Bernardino Valley will battle Santa Monica for third place starting around 2:00 p.m.
Friday Results:
Saddleback 65, Santa Monica 46
Irvine Valley 69, San Bernadino Valley 65
Cypress 80, Lon Beach City 70
Miramar 82, LA Trade Tech 78
12/17/09: Gauchos open Brummel Classic with a win
 The Saddleback men’s basketball team got out of the gate quickly in beating Long Beach City College, 78-59, in the opening round of Bill Brummel Classic. The Gauchos will face Santa Monica College in the semifinals on Friday night at 7:00 PM.
Saddleback jumped out to a 47-31 halftime lead on the strength of 16-for-18 shooting from the free throw line. The Gauchos finished 30-of-37 on the night from the charity stripe in a game that had a total of 51 fouls called.
Johnel Gray (pictured) led the Gauchos with 24 points on the night, making 9-of-10 shots while hitting on 5-of-7 free throws. Gray’s 24 points was a season high for the freshman from West Linn High School in Oregon and tied a team high set by Kyle Wallace earlier in the season.
Stephan Gwin and Darrin Kirk led Long Beach City with 13 points apiece.
Saddleback improved to 10-2 on the season with the win and will face Santa Monica College in the semifinals on Friday night at 7:00 PM. The Corsairs defeated Cypress College, 104-76 in the third quarterfinal of the day. Long Beach City fell to 4-7 on the season and will face Cypress in the consolation bracket.
Thursday Results:
Irvine Valley 65, LA Trade Tech 60
San Bernadino Valley 93, Miramar 83 (ot)
Santa Monica 104, Cypress 76
Saddleback 78, Long Beach City 59
12/16/09: Gauchos welcome top teams to Brummel Classic
Some of the top teams in the state will be on hand starting Thursday when the Brummel Classic kicks into high gear at the gymnasium. Three of the top-10 teams in the state and four of the top-10 teams in Southern California will battle it out from Thursday through Saturday.
The eight teams in the field are a combined 56-24 heading into the tournament, making it the top place in the state to be this weekend when the 12th annual Saddleback tournament tips off at 1:00 PM. The tournament was renamed the Brummel Classic last year after the retirement of long time head coach Bill Brummel, who coached the Gauchos for 27 years from 1980-2008.
The first game will feature two of the top teams in Southern California when LA Trade Tech and Irvine Valley square off in the upper bracket. Trade Tech is 7-2 entering the tournament and rated No. 9 in the southern half of the state while Irvine Valley enters at 11-1 and rated No. 9 in the state and No. 6 in the south. Trade Tech averages 80.7 points-per game and has four players averaging in double-figures for the season.  Irvine Valley enters with one of the top defenses in the state, allowing just 58.3 points-per-game. The Lasers have yet to allow more than 72 points in any game this season and are led on offense by sophomore forward Max Carrier.
Game two features one of the top teams in the state when San Bernadino Valley plays Miramar at 3:00 PM. San Bernadino is 9-1 and rated No. 3 in the state while Miramar enters at 2-5 on the season. The high-flying Wolverines average 84.8 points-per-game, led by sophomore Maurice McGee. Miramar (2-6) enters the game as the underdog, but has shot a respectable 47% from the field on the season.
The 5:00 PM game features two teams looking to jump into the top-20 in the state as Santa Monica enters at 7-3 and Cypress is 7-4. Santa Monica will hope to slow down a Cypress offense averaging 93.5 points-per-game with a big lineup featuring 6-foot-10 center Bryant Crowder, who is averaging 16.5 points-per-game on the season. Cypress has been scoring points in bunches all season, with five players that have scored more than 25 points in a single game. Devin Golston leads the Chargers with 19.5 points-per-game.
Saddleback will play in the final game of the opening day at 7:00 PM when the Gauchos host Long Beach City College. The Gauchos are rated No. 8 in the state and No. 5 in the south with a 9-2 record while the Vikings enter at 4-6. Long Beach has one of the youngest teams in the field and has four players averaging in double-figures, led by Leo Arnold. Conversely, Saddleback has a balanced attack with only one player averaging in double-figures. The Gauchos have been stellar on defense all season, surrendering just 61.5 points-per-game while Kyle Wallace has been hot from the outside, shooting 44% from 3-point range.
Brummel Classic Bracket
(#9So) LA Trade Tech (7-2)
#9St (#6So) Irvine Valley (11-1)
#3St (#2So) San Bernadino Valley (9-1)
Miramar (2-5)
Santa Monica (7-3)
Cypress (7-4)
Long Beach City (4-6)
#8St (#5So) Saddleback (9-2)
12/7/09:
Gauchos capture Grossmont Classic
 The Saddleback men’s basketball team was impressive over the weekend, winning three straight games against tough competition to capture the 38th annual Grossmont Classic championship. The Gauchos defeated two previously undefeated teams to take home the hardware, winning two close games on Saturday and Sunday.
Saddleback entered the tournament rated No. 9 in the state, knowing he field would be tough with undefeated College of the Desert and Cuesta College both waiting to knock off the Gauchos. Saddleback opened with a 75-60 win over Southwestern College to advance to the semifinals where College of the Desert was looking to make a name for themselves. The Gauchos prevailed in a close one, 67-65, to advance to the finals on Sunday evening. Saddleback then clamped down on defense in the finals, beating the upset-minded Cuesta team, 61-57.
The Gauchos improved to 6-1 on the season with the three wins. Saddleback will play next in the Riverside City College Tournament on Wednesday. They open the tournament at 1:00 PM against College of the Desert, with the Roadrunners looking for revenge.
11/24/09: Gauchos wear down Brahmas in second half
 The Gauchos (3-1) outscored Los Angeles Pierce (3-3) 41-24 in the second half on the way to a 68-48 victory on Tuesday night, breaking the game open after leading only by three points (27-24) at halftime.
Nathan Gibbs and Tyler McManaman each scored 13 points to lead a balanced attack for the Gauchos while DeAndre Myles added 11 points. TJ Lipold tossed in six points and snagged a game-high 11 rebounds while Taylor Cunningham dished out five assists.
11/22/09: Gaucho basketball finishes second at Fullerton
 The Saddleback men’s basketball team was back in action for the first time since finishing second in the state tournament last season and once again had to settle for second best. The Gauchos won their first two games of the Fullerton College Classic before going cold against Mt. San Antonio College in the title game on Saturday night, losing 83-69.
Saddleback faced Los Angeles Southwest in the opening game of the tournament on Thursday and defeated the Cougars 81-76 to advance to the semifinals where they would meet a talented Antelope Valley College. The Gauchos prevailed over the Marauders 62-55 by outscoring Antelope Valley 40-29 in the second half of play. Johnel Gray and Tyler McManaman both scored 14 points in the game to lead the Gauchos into the title game against Mt. SAC.
Saddleback trailed 40-37 against the Mounties in the championship game at halftime before the Gauchos went ice cold, making just 9-of-30 shots from the field in the second 20 minutes of play. Saddleback hung around for the majority of the second half despite making just 1-of-14 three-pointers for the game. Wendell Faines led the Gauchos with 11 points in the finale.
Up next for Saddleback is the home opener against Los Angeles Pierce on Tuesday night at 7:00 PM.
11/6/09: Men’s basketball enters the season rated No.7 in south
The men’s basketball team had a tremendous run in the state tournament in 2008-09, making it all the way to the finals before falling in overtime to Riverside College and finishing second in the state. The Gauchos return a handful of players from the runner-up team and enter the season at No. 7 in the coach’s poll.
 Saddleback lost a couple of key components from last year’s team but appears to have reloaded quite nicely. With top scorers Kevin Menner and Franklin Session off to four-year programs, the Gauchos have added size and strength inside and appear to have a team with a completely different personality. Rather than playing the cutting and slashing style that Saddleback fans became accustomed to in 2008-09, the Gauchos will likely have one of the biggest lineups in the state with the addition of three more 6-foot-9 players to go along with returning big man Sarunas Jackson.
Robert Curtis, Wendell Faines and Vincent Hatter-Roland along with Jackson will give the Gauchos a major size advantage inside on most teams they play and with five guards returning to the program, Saddleback appears versatile enough to play any style of basketball.
The Gauchos enter the season at No. 7 in the south and No. 13 in the state in the Coach’s Poll, which came out on Sunday. Riverside, the team that defeated the Gauchos in the state title game, opens the season at No. 5 in the south and No. 10 in the state to open the season. Fresno City College opens the season as the top-rated team in the state while Citrus College comes in at No. 2 in the state and No. 1 in the south.
Saddleback opens the regular season on November 18 when they travel to Fullerton College four a four-day tournament against some of the top talent in the state.
A brief look at the rankings from the Coach’s Poll:
Southern California Rankings
1) Citrus
2) Mt. San Jacinto
3) San Bernadino Valley
4) Antelope Valley
5) Riverside
6) LA Trade Tech
7) Saddleback
8) Bakersfield
9) Mt. San Antonio
10) Ventura
Brummel Classic pairings announced
The 2009 Brummel Classic is set in stone and the opening round games have been decided. The Gauchos will open against Long Beach City College in a tournament that features two other Orange Empire Conference foes and three teams that were rated in the top-25 in the state last season.
 Saddleback will look to defend its Brummel Classic crown after taking the title in 2008 when they defeated Schoolcraft College (MI), San Bernadino Valley College and Mt. San Jacinto College. If they are going to defend, however, they will need to beat some solid programs along the way.
“It is a very balanced tournament this season, with some of the top programs in the state,” Saddleback head coach Andy Ground said. “It should send us into the holidays with a good idea of where we stand as a team.”
The Gauchos will open up against a Long Beach City program that finished 15-14 in 2008-09 and has a new head coach in Barry Barnes. If successful on the opening day, Saddleback would face the winner of the Santa Monica College/Cypress College matchup in the semifinals.
The other bracket pits OEC rival Irvine Valley College versus Los Angeles Trade Tech in the opening game of the tournament to be followed by Miramar College versus San Bernadino Valley in the other quarterfinal. Miramar finished 23-7 in 2008-09 and was rated No. 24 in the final state RPI rankings while San Bernadino was rated No. 9, finishing 25-8.
The 2009 Brummel Classic gets underway on Thursday, December 17, with Irvine Valley tipping off against LA Trade Tech at 1:00 PM. The Gauchos will play the last quarterfinal game of the day at 7:00 PM.
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