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2007 Gaucho Men's Basketball News
Sophomore salute turns sour for Saddleback
It was a night in which Saddleback’s lone sophomore, Darryl Best, was honored as he would be playing in his last collegiate game in the Saddleback College gym. And in the first half it appeared that Best would be the difference in this game against visiting Orange Coast College. Saddleback would build a seven point lead twice during the first half as Best led the team with 12 points and five rebounds. But the Pirates caught up each time. There were nine lead changes in the first half (five for Orange Coast) until the score became knotted at 39-39 heading into the intermission.
The second half was a different story and the storm inside the gym turned out to favor Orange Coast in the end, 94-70. The Pirates (8-20, 3-8) hit just a trio of three-pointers in the first half (3 for 13) but it was raining three’s in the second half as the Pirates hit 13 more (13 of 22) to account for 39 of their 55 second half points.
In addition to having a hot shooting hand, OCC also played rabid defense which frustrated the Gauchos (11-18, 3-8) all night. Saddleback ended up committing 32 turnovers, much too many for a team trying to send its sophomore out in sweet style. Best finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Charlie Oriel and Chris Rentie added 11 points each with Oriel getting credit for six assists. Orange Coast had five players in double figures, led by Brian Gee with 20 points. Gee was 6-of-9 from three-point range while Tres Saldivar was 5-of-6 from behind the arc to finish with 15 points.
Saddleback and Orange Coast are now tied for fifth place in the conference standings, one game behind Cypress (13-17, 4-7). Saddleback will wrap up the season on Friday at Irvine Valley (25-4, 9-2) while Orange Coast will return home to host Santa Ana (9-20, 1-10).
Gauchos just one shot from a major upset
The Saddleback men’s basketball team needed to step up its game a notch on Wednesday night if it was going to keep pace with an athletic Riverside Tiger team. And the Gauchos did just that. They also needed just one more basket to fall, and they didn’t get that.
Saddleback was facing one of the conference’s top teams for the third consecutive game. The team played hard against Irvine Valley and Fullerton last week but couldn’t keep pace in the closing minutes and fell by scores which made the games seem lopsided even though they were not. Wednesday’s energy in the game against Riverside never fell off and the Gauchos had a chance to win the game in the final minute.
Trailing by 14 at the intermission, Saddleback stormed back in the second half to pull within two points (53-51) with 8:40 to play. Riverside opened the lead back up to nine points, but Saddleback cut into that lead again, getting it to just three points with over three minutes to play. That’s when every shot, every free throw, every rebound became critical. Although Saddleback was outrebounded 52-33, including 27-15 in the second half, the Gauchos were able to stay close by fouling the Tigers. Riverside shot a paltry 59 percent from the charity stripe (23 of 39) so Saddleback was never really counted out, even after missed baskets. Riverside went to the line 39 times compared to Saddleback’s 25 foul shots.
Riverside led by three when Saddleback’s Charlie Oriel missed a three-point attempt in the final 30 seconds which would have tied the score. The Gauchos were forced to foul and Riverside made one of two charity shots with 6.6 seconds remaining. Oriel’s final three point attempt at the buzzer caromed away and the Tigers escaped with the win.
Cornell Jenkins had 23 points and Oriel added 16 for the Gauchos. Chris Rentie chipped in with 10 points and Darryl Best, held scoreless for the first 34 minutes of the game, was productive down the stretch and finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Saddleback will travel to Santa Ana on Friday for a 7:30 p.m. game. The Gauchos beat the Dons during the first round of conference play, 81-78.
Gauchos fall to Fullerton
Saddleback began the second round of Orange Empire Conference play against a talented and athletic Fullerton squad, keeping within an arms distance of the Hornets until the final few minutes of the game.
Saddleback (9-16, 1-6) came out playing aggressive and kept pace with the Hornets (19-5, 6-1) through most of the first half until Fullerton forward Ray Magee landed awkwardly following a defensive rebound and went to the floor. Play was delayed for 32 minutes while paramedics tended to Magee and both teams lost a small amount of intensity for the remaining seven minutes of the half. Saddleback committed a couple of costly turnovers, allowing Fullerton to take a 39-28 lead into the intermission.
In the second half Saddleback cut the deficit to eight points but gave that right back with a pair of turnovers and Fullerton maintained a double-digit advantage for the remainder of the game.
Charlie Oriel talled 17 points for the Gauchos while Cornell Jenkins added 15 points. Darryl Best and Matt Ahrens each contributed nine points, but the Gauchos committed 23 turnovers compared to Fullerton’s 17. Justin Carter was limited to 19 points for the Hornets and Wayne Andrews threw down 11 points but Fullerton had eight additional players score.
Saddleback will host Riverside on Wednesday, Feb. 6, at 7:30 pm.
Gauchos drop game to district rivals
The Saddleback men’s basketball team dropped an 86-58 decision to district rival Irvine Valley College on Wednesday night, finishing out the first round of conference play with a 1-5 conference record.
Wednesday’s game against the Lasers didn’t start out well at all as the Gauchos’ Reggie Patterson was called for a technical for hanging on the room as he went up for an offensive rebound of a teammate’s missed shot just 26 seconds into the contest. IVC made both free throws and went on a 12-0 run to start the game before Saddleback would get on the scoreboard.
The Gauchos played even with the Lasers for the rest of the half, trailing by 13 at the intermission, 49-36. Saddleback cut the deficit to 11 points before Irvine Valley went on a 10-0 run to stretch the lead over 20 points.
Donovan Clark had a solid game with 16 points and seven rebounds while Darryl Best added 14 points and Cornell Jenkins tossed in 10 points. Irvine Valley (22-2, 6-0) had four players in double figures, led by La’Shard Anderson’s 16 points.
The Gauchos (9-15, 1-5) will host Fullerton College on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. to start the second round of conference play.
Gauchos struggle in second half, ousted by Orange Coast
Saddleback Men’s team traveled to Peterson Gym, to take on the Orange Coast pirates on Friday, Jan. 25th. Saddleback coming off a tough lose against Cypress was hoping to bounce back with a win over Orange Coast.
Reggie Patterson and Cornell Jenkins each had 10 points to lead Saddleback (9-14, 1-4 in conference). Robert Johnson grabbed 9 rebounds, 6 of those were on the offensive rebounds. The Gauchos could not stop Brian Gee who led the Pirates (5-16, 1-3 in conference) with 19 points, while Brian Helmuth notched a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
The Gauchos were down by two at the break, and after a slow second half, the Pirates took control of the game with a 16-3 run over the first 6:15 of the second half and never looked back.
The Gauchos showed some life when they crept back to a deficit, but could never get over the hump for the reminder of the game.
The Gauchos will play at home on Wednesday night against power house Irvine Valley College (last ranked #3 in state), beginning at 5:30 p.m. On Friday, the Gauchos at 7:30pm will play Riverside at home to kick off the second round of OEC play.
Gauchos struggle in second half, fall to Cypress
Fresh off of its 81-78 victory over Santa Ana just 48 hours earlier, the Saddleback men’s basketball team appeared inspired and ready to play against Cypress on Friday night in the Gauchos gym. But two mistakes in the closing minute of the first half changed what should have been a tied score into a four-point Cypress lead, 38-34.
Things didn’t get any better for the Gauchos (8-14, 1-3) in the second half as their comeback bid started to slide the other way. A physical and athletic Charger team (11-11, 2-1) shot nearly 50 percent from the field (30 of 61) and Saddleback couldn’t keep up that pace (39 percent: 25 of 64). The Gauchos found themselves down by 12 points just six minutes into the second half and down by 16 points just three minutes later.
Darryl Best had 16 points and Donovan Clark added 15 points as the only Gauchos in double figures. Cypress had four players in double figures, led by Sean Starkey (22), Khalif Boyd (21), and Eric Butler (18).
Gauchos get balanced attack to upend Dons
Saddleback used inspired play and a balanced attack to earn its first conference victory of the season by defeating Santa Ana 81-78 at home on Wednesday night.
Guard Chris Rentie had 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists but no play was larger than a driving layup in the closing minute which tied the score at 78-78. Saddleback stopped the Dons at the other end of the court and had one last chance to keep the game from going into overtime. Matt Ahrens’ off-balance three-point shot in front of the Saddleback bench with :04 on the clock won it for the Gauchos (8-13, 1-2 in conference). Ahrens finished with 17 points, a game-high 11 rebounds, and a game-high seven assists. Saddleback’s lone sophomore, Darryl Best, added 16 points and seven rebounds while guard Cornell Jenkins chipped in with 13 points and six rebounds.
Ten of the 11 Saddleback players who entered the game scored, and nine of the 11 players were credited with at least one rebound and eight players were credited with at least one assist.
The Gauchos will host Cypress on Friday at 5:30.
Gauchos off to slow start in OEC
The Men’s Basketball team had a tough week on the road, with trips to #8 ranked Fullerton College and Riverside College in the opening week of conference play.
The Gauchos got off to a slow start against Fullerton and played catch-up all night in falling to the Hornets. Only one Gaucho scored in double figures freshman Donovan Clark (13). Fullerton would go on to win the contest 87 to 49, bringing the Gauchos season record to a 7-12 mark.
In the second conference game, the Gauchos would face Riverside College. The first half saw Riverside jumping out to a twelve point lead, but the Gauchos cut the lead down to a respectable eight points going into halftime. The Gauchos held a slight edge on the boards at the half with 23 to 20 total rebounds.
In the second half, Riverside went on a 10-2 run and would eventually defeat the Gauchos, 78 to 60. Three players for the Gauchos ended the game with double figure scoring, Cornell Jenkins (13), Darryl Best (11), and Donovan Clark (10). The Gauchos received strong rebounding efforts from Donovan Clark and Darryl Best who combined for 19 rebounds. The loss gives the Gauchos a 7-13 record.
Saddleback will play at home against Santa Ana on Wednesday, January 16th and Cypress on Friday, January 18th. Both games are at 5:30pm.
Men's Basketball to host Gaucho Classic
Saddleback College will host the 10th Gaucho Classic men’s basketball tournament this weekend in the newly re-opened campus gym.
Eight teams will vie for the tournament title, including the top five finishers from last year’s tournament. Irvine Valley and Los Angeles Trade Tech are scheduled to meet at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday (December 13) in the tournament’s opening contest, followed by Riverside Community College and Santa Monica College at 3:00 p.m. Riverside won last year’s tournament over Trade Tech with Irvine Valley taking the third place game over Saddleback. Santa Monica captured the consolation title.
Long Beach City College and San Bernardino Valley College are scheduled to meet at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, followed by Saddleback and Barstow colleges at 7:00 p.m. Long Beach, San Bernardino Valley, and Barstow are all new additions to the tournament this year.
Games continue on Friday (Dec. 14) at 1:00, 3:00, 5:00, and 7:00 p.m. with the finals to be played on Saturday (Dec. 15). The consolation title will be decided at 1:00 p.m. and third place will tip off at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday with the championship game scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
Admission prices are just $5 for adults and $3 for senior citizens, students and children.
Thursday's Opening Round of games:
Irvine Valley vs. L.A. Trade Tech, 1:00 pm
Riverside vs. Santa Monica, 3:00 pm
Long Beach City College vs. San Bernardino Valley College, 5:00 p.m.
Saddleback vs. Barstow, 7:00 p.m.
Gauchos lose two straight in Riverside Tournament
In the second round of the Riveside tournament the Gauchos ran into a hot shooting College of the Desert team dropping the contest 87-63. The loss knocks the Gauchos out of the tournament.
Charlie Oriel again lead all scores for the GAUCHOS with 20 pts. The only other double digit scorer was Darryl Best who had 11pts.
Saddleback dropped game one 57-47 to Long Beach City College in the opening round of the Riverside Holiday Tournament on December 5.
Charlie Oriel led the Gauchos in all aspects, scoring a team-high 16 points, grabbing five rebounds, getting credit for five steals, and handing out a pair of assists. No other Gaucho scored in double-digits. However, sophomore Darryl Best tossed in nine points as he hit seven of his 10 free throw attempts.
Gauchos to open 2007-08 basketball season
The Saddleback College men’s basketball team will open the 2007-2008 season on Thursday, November 8, at the County Commerce Bank Classic tournament hosted by Ventura College.
There is great interest in seeing how the Gauchos match up against the competition this season as only one sophomore, Darryl Best, is listed on the roster. Best played two years ago, averaging 5.3 points, two rebounds and one assist for a team that posted a 22-9 overall record.
Molding players into contenders is nothing new for head coach Bill Brummel (559-258 in 26 years) who has guided five of the past seven Saddleback teams to the state tournament. However, none of those teams were as heavily laden with freshmen as this year’s team.
Last year’s team posted a 25-9 record, was co-champions of the Orange Empire Conference, and reached the semifinals of the state tournament with the help of three all-conference big men in Brandon James, Tremaine Ford (CSU Northridge), and Gerard Anderson (CSU Fullerton). The big three accounted for 37 points and 21 rebounds per game and also totaled 110 steals and 89 blocked shots during the season.
In order to replace that inside success, the Gauchos will need to look at 6’5” forwards Donovan Clark and Katsu Durst, 6’6” forward Billal Azizi, and 6’7” forwards Sergio Lugo and Robert Johnson.
Clark (Cajon HS, San Bernardino) is a true freshman who was a two-time all-league selection and county all-star game participant while Durst (Aliso Niguel HS) is a local player who has spent the past four years in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Azizi (Eden Prairie, MN) is originally from the Minneapolis, Minnesota, area and has been out of high school for three years. His family moved to South Orange County after his graduation and he has continued his basketball career as a member of the Afghanistan National team.
Lugo (Bell Gardens HS), who averaged six blocked shots and 13 rebounds while earning his team’s top defensive award last season, and Johnson (Canyon Springs HS) are both true freshmen.
There are 10 guards listed on this year’s team, including Best. TJ Lipold (Edison HS) can play several positions on the court. He was his team’s MVP for three years and was named as the Sunset League’s MVP in 2006 before redshirting at Saddleback last season. Chris Rentie (Woodcrest HS, Riverside) also earned his league MVP honor along with all-CIF recognition. Forward Andrew Meshot (El Toro HS) earned all-league and all-CIF recognition while Matt Ahrens (El Toro HS) earned second-team all-league honors. They will be joined on the roster by local product Farhad Nangialai (Mission Viejo HS) who graduated from high school two years ago.
Saddleback opens the Ventura tournament at 4:00 p.m. against Oxnard College and will play on Friday against either Antelope Valley or Los Angeles Valley. The Gauchos’ first home game will be during the Gaucho Classic tournament, December 13-15. |
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