2/17/11: Women’s basketball falls in season finale
 The women’s basketball team came up short in the season finale against Irvine Valley College on Wednesday night, falling 52-43. The Gauchos nearly pulled off an amazing comeback before going cold down the stretch in finishing the season 9-19.
Saddleback had a tough time making a basket in the first half, shooting just 23% from the field in falling behind 26-13 at the intermission. The Gauchos, however, weren’t ready to call it a season as they stormed back to take the lead with 5:55 remaining on the clock. Irvine Valley would answer the call, making free throws down the stretch to turn back Saddleback in the President’s Cup, allowing the Lasers to take home the trophy for 2010-11.
Audri Sargent and Dez Ale led Saddleback with 14 points apiece. Sargent was 6-of-17 from the field while Ale made 4-of-7 shots from the field and 6-of-12 from the free throw line. The Gauchos struggled mightily from the 3-point line, making just 1-of-12 shots for the night in shooting 33% from the field for the game.
Saddleback finishes the season 9-19 overall and 2-10 in Orange Empire Conference play with the loss. Irvine Valley finished the regular season 14-14 overall and 5-6 in OEC play, and will also likely miss out on the upcoming Southern California playoffs, starting next week.
2/11/11: Gauchos snap five-game skid
 The Saddleback women's basketball team snapped a five-game skid with a
64-52 victory at Santa Ana College on Friday and will wrap up the regular season on Wednesday at Irvine Valley. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
Desiree Ale tallied 14 points and snagged 10 rebounds to lead the Gauchos while sophomore center Audri Sargent added 13 points and 12 rebounds, including 7-for-7 at the free throw line. Jamie Moe added 12 points and ended up with four assists.
Saddleback's women's team will complete the four-game series of The Presidents Cup when Saddleback plays at Irvine Valley on Wednesday. The friendly wager between the district college presidents is for a golden basketball trophy and bragging rights within the district. Irvine Valley won both the men's and women's games when the teams collided at Saddleback. The Gauchos hope to repay the favor by a larger margin on Wednesday at IVC. Saddleback has won The Presidents Cup in the two previous seasons.
2/9/11:
Pirates too much for the Gauchos in home finale
 The Saddleback women’s basketball team had a tall task in front of them on Wednesday night when facing Orange Coast, a team rated No. 7 in Southern California. The Gauchos played the Pirates tough for the majority of the game before falling 62-50 at the Saddleback Gymnasium.
Saddleback honored sophomore Audri Sargent before the game for her efforts over the past two years and then did their best to honor her on the court throughout the game with hustle and determination. The Gauchos played gritty all night as Sargent battled with foul trouble for most of the evening. She landed her third foul of the game with over eight minutes remaining in the first half of play, and was forced to sit the remainder of the opening frame. Sargent would eventually foul out of the game with 5:59 remaining in the game with 10 points to her credit, and the Saddleback lineup would struggle the rest of the way against the much bigger Pirate unit.
Samantha Hansen led Orange Coast with 20 points on 9-for-19 from the field. Hansen also had a game-high 11 rebounds for the night as the Pirates held a 50-37 advantage on the glass for the evening.
Saddleback fell to 8-18 overall on the season and 1-9 in Orange Empire Conference play with the loss. The Gauchos will play again on Friday night at Santa Ana College. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 PM.
2/4/11: Gauchos swarmed by Hornets
 The Saddleback women’s basketball team had a tough task on Friday night of playing the No. 1 team in the state, the Fullerton Hornets. After closing within 10 in the opening minutes of the second half, the Hornets buzzed past the Gauchos for a 71-33 win at the Saddleback Gymnasium.
Fullerton’s swarming defense kept the Gaucho offense in check for the majority of the night. Saddleback shot just 20% in the first half and 26% for the game. The Hornets forced the Gauchos into 30 turnovers for the game, recording 22 steals.
Amandra Frost led all scorers for Fullerton with 18 points on 9-of-19 shooting from the field. Frost and the Hornets shot 53% from the field in the second half, while improving to 23-2 on the season.
Audri Sargent (pictured) once again led Saddleback with 15 points and 17 rebounds, making good on 6-of-15 shots from the field. Sargent had 12 defensive rebounds, as the Gauchos fell to 8-17 overall on the season.
Saddleback will play again next Wednesday night at home against Orange Coast College. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 PM.
1/21/11: Gauchos fall to Lasers in close battle
 The Saddleback women’s basketball team battled to the bitter end but came up just short in falling to inter-district rival Irvine Valley College, 48-43, on Friday night at the Saddleback Gymnasium. The Gauchos had as much as a 10-point lead in the first half but were unable to hang on in falling to the Lasers in the first half of the President’s Cup.
A solid crowd showed up for the first half of Coaches versus Cancer night at Saddleback and they were treated to a good battle between two evenly matched teams. Saddleback, however, went ice cold from the field in the second half, shooting just 30% from the field over the final 20 minutes in falling to 8-14 overall on the season with the loss.
Audri Sargent (pictured) had another stellar performance for Saddleback, leading all scorers with 17 points and dominating on the glass with 19 rebounds. Sydney Gathright chipped in 10 points in the losing effort.
Saddleback will play again next Friday at Riverside College. Game time is set for 7:30 PM.
The game will be played at JW North High School, due to renovation of the RCC gymnasium.
1/19/11: Sargent puts Gauchos in win column in a big way
Saddleback entered Wednesday night’s matchup against Santa Ana with both teams looking for their first win in Orange Empire Conference play. Sophomore Audri Sargent put the rest of the Gauchos on her back, scoring 29 points as Saddleback cruised to a 79-58 win at the Saddleback Gymnasium.
Santa Ana had no answer for Sargent, who finished 12-for-20 from the field. It was her second highest output of the season, nearing her season-high 33 scored on November 28 against Irvine Valley College.
Dez Ale was equally impressive for the Gauchos, scoring a season-high 22 points as Saddleback erased a six game losing streak. Ale finished 8-for-13 from the field and was 2-for-2 from 3-point range.
The 21-point win was the largest winning margin of the season for Saddleback, who improved to 8-13 overall on the season and 1-4 in OEC play. Santa Ana fell to 4-14 on the season and 0-4 in conference play with the loss.
1/14/11: Sargent ties rebounding mark in loss to Bucs
Saddleback sophomore center Audri Sargent tied the school rebounding record by pulling down 22 boards on Friday night during Saddleback's 59-43 loss at Orange Coast. Sargent was also the only Gaucho to score in double digits, accounting for 17 points and six blocked shots.
It was the sixth straight setback for the Gauchos who are hoping to snap that streak on Wednesday when they host Santa Ana. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. The Gauchos will be at home on Friday, as well, hosting district-rival Irvine Valley College.
1/7/11: Saddleback can’t slow down Cypress attack
For the second straight game the Saddleback women’s basketball team got off to a slow start and once again it came back to haunt them. Cypress opened up a 13-0 start to begin the game and never looked back in beating the Gauchos 82-55 on Friday at the Saddleback Gymnasium.
Cypress came in with an impressive 11-5 record on the season and did not disappoint. The Chargers bolted out of the gates in both halves, also scoring the first eight points of the second half. Micaela Pickens led the Chargers with 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field.
Audri Sargent (pictured) had another solid game for Saddleback, leading all scorers in the game with 19 points. She also led both teams with 17 rebounds in 34 minutes on the court.
Saddleback will be back in action next Wednesday when they travel to Fullerton College. Game time is set for 5:30 PM.
1/5/11: Slow start sidetracks Gauchos in OEC opener
The Saddleback women’s basketball team got off to a slow start on Wednesday evening and never recovered, falling to Riverside College, 55-40. The Gauchos fell behind 12-2 to start the game in dropping the Orange Empire Conference opener at the Saddleback Gymnasium.
Saddleback struggled from the field through the first 20 minutes of play, making just 2-of-14 from 3-point range while Riverside opened up a 12-point halftime lead. The Gauchos closed to within six points with 15 minutes remaining in the contest but were unable to keep the momentum, falling to 7-10 overall on the season and 0-1 in Orange Empire Conference play.
Kerah Natividad was a force inside for Riverside, leading the Tigers in both scoring (20) and rebounding (11). Natividad was 9-for-23 from the field in 34 minutes of play.
Saddleback sophomore Audri Sargent (pictured) led the Gauchos with 12 points and 12 rebounds, finishing 6-of-11 from the field.
The Gauchos will play again on Friday night at home against Cypress College. Tio-off is scheduled for 5:30 PM.
12/18/10: Women drop two in OCC Holiday Classic
 Saddleback suffered an early exit from the OCC Holiday Classic, dropping back-to-back games and being eliminated from the double-elimination tournament.
The Gauchos (7-9) faced a highly-touted Cerritos (8-3) team in the opening round and, after early foul trouble to center Audri Sargent, had trouble keeping pace with the Falcons in the second half in falling 78-39. Sargent had 15 points and eight rebounds to pace the Gauchos while Desiree Ale added 11 points.
Saddleback played even with College of the Canyons in the second half of the consolation semifinals the next night, tying the score at 61-61 with about two minutes to play. But Canyons (8-5) hit a key basket to go ahead and Saddleback could not convert any more points in falling 66-61. Sargent tallied 19 points and 12 rebounds while Ale added 18 points and Briana Williams contributed 12 points and eight rebounds.
The women's basketball team will have about two weeks off before returning to the court to open Orange Empire Conference play on Wednesday, January 5, when the Gauchos host Riverside Community College at 5:30 p.m.
12/13/10: Women’s basketball wins 2-of-3 in Bulldog Classic
The Saddleback women’s basketball team captured the consolation championship of the Allan Hancock College Tournament on Saturday with a 44-43 win over East Los Angeles College. The Gauchos won 2-of-3 games over the weekend and are now at .500 heading into the Orange Coast College Holiday Classic this weekend.
Saddleback opened the tournament on the wrong foot, falling to Cuesta College 56-49 as the Cougars scored 22 second-chance points while the Gauchos had stretches where they couldn’t buy a basket. Saddleback, however, showed grit and determination in fighting back on Friday to blow past Oxnard College, 60-40, thus setting up a game with East Los Angeles College for the consolation championship.
Saddleback fell behind early on Saturday as the Gauchos were ice cold from the field, scoring just 13 points in the opening half and trailing by 10. Saddleback played even with  the Huskies over the next 15 minutes and trailed 42-33 with just under four minutes remaining before they made their move. The Gauchos reeled off 10-straight points in taking a lead before East Los Angeles would eventually tie the score with 11 seconds remaining in the game.
Saddleback inbounded the ball to Janelle Stroud (pitcured right), who drove the length of the court to take a shot. Stroud’s shot was off the mark, but Audri Sargent (pictured left) grabbed the rebound and was fouled on the put-back with 0.7 seconds remaining on the clock. Sargent would make the first free thrown and intentionally miss the second, giving the Gauchos a solid come-from-behind win and a consolation title.
"We are still a young team, trying to find ways to grow up as the season progresses," Head Coach Fentriss Winn said. "I think our best basketball is ahead of us as we head into conference play next month."
Sargent finished with 16 points for the game and was named to the all-tournament team for her efforts over the weekend.
Saddleback will play again this Friday when they open up the Orange Coast Holiday Classic against Cerritos College at 1:00 PM. The Falcons are rated No. 4 in Southern California and No. 7 in the state of California.
11/23/10: Gauchos go cold in falling to Southwestern
The Saddleback women’s basketball team fell to 3-2 on Tuesday in losing to Southwestern College, 57-51. The Gauchos were cruising along with an 11-point lead with just over seven minutes remaining when someone put a lid on the basket, getting outscored 18-1 down the stretch.
Saddleback held a 50-39 lead and had total control when starting point guard Dez Ale left the game after a blow to the head. Southwestern proceeded to turn up the heat on defense and the Gauchos committed a number of turnovers in letting the lead slip away.
Guard Teanna Williams led the Jaguar comeback, scoring 18 points with four steals. The Gauchos were led by Audri Sargent (pictured), who had 16 points while grabbing 16 rebounds. Ale had 10 points before leaving the game for good with just under seven minutes remaining.
Saddleback fell to 3-2 on the season with the loss and will play again on Friday in the College of the Desert Tournament.
Southwestern improved to 5-1 with the win.
11/22/10: Gauchos defeat San Diego Mesa
 The women's basketball team pulled away in the final few minutes to keep San Diego Mesa winless on the season, posting a 54-45 triumph in the Saddleback gym on Monday night.
Audri Sargent scored 22 points and added a game-high 11 rebounds for the Gauchos (3-1) while Desiree Ale (pictured) added 10 points and six steals.
Sargent also did a remarkable job on defense in containing the Olympians' 6'4" center, Asha McDonnell sho was limited to five points and 10 rebounds.
Saddleback held a 28-23 lead at halftime but lost the lead when San Diego Mesa scored eight of the next 10 points of the second half. The game was still tight with about three minutes to play until Saddleback converted a couple of steals into fast break layups to open up a 10-point lead.
The Gauchos are home again on Tuesday night, hosting Southwestern College in the gym at 6:00 p.m.
11/16/10:
Gauchos take 2-of-3 in Mendocino
The Saddleback women’s basketball team had a strong showing in their first challenge of the season at the Mendocino College Tournament. The Gauchos won 2-of-3 games, winning the third place game on Sunday.
Saddleback opened the tournament with a hard-fought 51-50 win over Los Medanos College. The Gauchos received a late 3-pointer from Brianna Williams as the Saddleback defense held the Lobos to 25% shooting from the field. Williams, along with Stephanie Fredricks both scored 14 points to lead the Gaucho attack while Sidney Gathright chipped in eight points to start the season 1-0.
Game two of the tournament pitted Saddleback against the eventual tournament champion Diablo Valley and the Gauchos played gamely in falling to the Vikings, 53-51. Sophomore Audri Sargent (pictured left) led the Gauchos with 14 points while Fredricks added 13 as Saddleback lost a close one to even their season at 1-1.
Sunday found the Gauchos in the third place game against Southern California foe East Los Angeles College. Sargent once again led the charge, scoring 20 points as Saddleback found themselves back in the winner’s circle for a second time in three days, beating East LA 53-49. Williams helped out with 12 points of her own and Dez Ale chipped in with 10 points as Saddleback prevailed in another close game to open the season 2-1.
Saddleback will play again on Monday in its home-opener against San Diegao Mesa College at 6:00 PM.
Gauchos gearing up for big things in 2010-11
With only one returner paired with a redshirt freshman from a year ago, new may be just what the doctored ordered in Coach Winn’s goal to get the Gauchos back among the states top teams. The Gauchos were able grind out a 15-15 record last season despite a few key injuries that would impact the season a year ago.
That was then and this is now, and now a talented, hardworking group of newcomers have stormed the campus from all different directions. However, it is what has returned that gets people excited around campus. Audri Sargent a 6’0” the lone returner from last years team, and a 2nd team all-conference selection will carry a large part of the load for the Gauchos.
“She is a leader on and off the court, and has matured into this tremendous player over the last year and a half,” head coach Fentriss Winn said. “Our expectation is she will be a marked young lady by our opponents, but her hard work and preparation is among the best I have coached.”
Audri was recently named Scholar Baller for her academic work, and named captain of the team.
One player does not make a team and it appears plenty of talent for its way to campus this season.
“I am really excited about this group of young ladies, and not because they bring a combined skill set that will allow us to be a versatile team able to score and defend a high level, but because they are great kids with great attitudes,” said Winn.
Key Returner -
Audri Sargent 6’0” Guard/Forward
"Great athlete with guard skills at her size. Will present problems for opponents who try to figure out how to guard her. A good shooter who can score consistantly from inside and outside the paint. Among the top rebounders in the conference a year ago will be asked to score often for the team."
Newcomers -
(Guards)
Jamielynn Moe 5’3” - Waiakea HS (HI)
"A versatile guard who will play the point and off-guard for the Gauchos. She is a solid 3-point shooter, and a smart player with a strong work ethic."
Emily Montelongo 5’2” - Fabens HS (TX)
"The team's purest point guard who will grow into it's top player-maker for the point position. She has a high basketball I.Q. that will allow her to have a successful stint with the Gauchos for the next two years."
Ashley Hatcher 5’2” - Vista HS (CA)
"Ashley is a tremendous worker who will help the Gauchos win games with her ability to play defense and get out ahead of the break on offense."
Janelle Stroud 5’7” - San Diego HS (CA)
"Solid guard with ability to get to the basket off the dribble and finish strong. Has a good upside with hard work will develop into a very good player."
Dez Ale 5’7” - Bishop Montgomery HS (CA)
"A gifted player who can play multiple positions and has the opportunity to be among the top players in the state. Very instinctive player who impacts the game in every area, and her game still has a lot of growth left. We expect great things in the future."
(Wings)
Sydney Gathright 5’8” Vista HS (CA)
"I think Sydney can achieve whatever she wants from a player standpoint. She is a good player who does a little bit of everything well. When she decides to take her game to the next level it will be scary."
Briana Williams 5’10” Garden Grove HS (CA)
"Among the most complete players on the team, and a real match-up problem for the other team. Her length is hard for inside players to defend from the perimeter, and she has a good shooting touch."
Stephanie Fredrick 5’8” Bradshaw HS (CA)
"Could be the big impact on team with a great skill set, and ability to control the flow and speed of the game. Has a tremendous offensive game and is a very heady player. We expect her contributions will be major."
Elysse Cruz 5’6” Santa Ana Valley HS (CA)
"Skilled player who can become a outstanding player with hard work. Among the better shooters on the team, and will see quality minutes that will increase as the season moves along."
(Post Players)
Sara Johnson 5’8” Trubuco Hills HS (CA)
"The redshirt from a year ago will be good news for the Gauchos. Sara has guard skills, and the size to play inside. She will be ask to guard post players and seems to be up to the challenge."
Jennifer Courtney 5’7” Costa Mesa (CA)
"A solid post player with a superior on court, work-ethic. Plays very hard all the time, and has a strong desire to be successful. Will play major minutes for the Gauchos."
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