Gritty defense has been a hallmark of the Andy Ground era at Saddleback College, so it was no surprise when the Gauchos showed up with a sense of purpose in the defensive end with their head coach looking for his 100th career win. Saddleback responded with a vicious effort, holding Santa Ana to 27% shooting for the night in a 72-47 win over the Dons.
Saddleback jumped out to a 10-point halftime lead with Santa Ana shooting just 29% over the first 20 minutes of play. Things went from bad to worse for the Dons, who shot just 25% in the second half, making only 1-of-7 shots from three-point range. Santa Ana scored just 10 points between the 6:10 mark of the first half and the 8:53 mark of the second half, as the Saddleback defense was smothering at times.
In the offensive zone, AJ Brevard (pictured left) and Josh Smith (pictured right) both scored 17 points apiece as the Gauchos shot 46% from the field for the night. Smith finished the night with a double-double, making 5-of-8 shots from the field while collecting 10 rebounds.
For Saddleback (15-7, 6-1), it was the sixth straight win since losing to Santa Ana (8-12, 2-5) in the opener of Orange Empire Conference play on January 4. The Gauchos will hope to keep the streak alive when they travel to Cypress College next Wednesday night. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 PM.
For Ground, it was his 100th win in 127 tries. He is the quickest coach to accumulate 100 wins in Saddleback men’s basketball history. His .787 winning percentage is second only to Bill Mulligan (.814), who coached from 1976 to 1980.
1/26/12: Gauchos defeat RCC and still lead the OEC
The Saddleback men’s basketball team had a difficult test on Wednesday night when it traveled to Riverside to take on a Tiger program that always gives the Gauchos headaches. Saddleback passed the test with flying colors, defeating Riverside 74-65 to remain in first place in conference play.
Saddleback trailed early in the second half 36-35 before they went on an 18-1 run over a 6:55 span, pulling ahead of the Tigers 55-37 with just 9:32 remaining in the game. Josh Smith (pictured), Miles Green and Darnell Taylor led the spark as the Gauchos shot 64% from the field in the second half.
Smith finished with a game-high 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field. He also led both teams with 10 rebounds, and was stellar in the defensive end in recording three steals. Green was nearly his equal, scoring 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including making both of his three-point attempts for the night. Taylor finished with 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting, leading the Gauchos with three assists on the night.
Saddleback finished a red-hot 60% from the field for the night, as Riverside could not find a way to get stops in the defensive end. The Gauchos also made things difficult for the Tigers on offense, holding Riverside to 19-for-49 shooting on the night (39%).
With the win, Saddleback (14-7, 5-1) now has a one-game lead in Orange Empire Conference play over both Riverside and Fullerton College. The Gauchos now have a two-game lead over arch rival Irvine Valley College, who fell to Fullerton last night (78-76).
Saddleback will play again on Friday night at home when they host Santa Ana College. The Gauchos lost to the Dons (44-47) in the opening game of OEC play on January 4, and have not lost a game since that time. Tip-off is set for 7:30 PM.
1/24/12: Site and times of RCC game have changed
The site and times have changed for Saddleback’s men’s and women’s basketball games against Riverside City College on Wednesday, January 25th, as the Tigers’ gymnasium is still being renovated. All of Riverside’s home games are being played at Cal Baptist University, 8432 Magnolia Avenue, in Riverside.
The men’s game will tip-off at 6:30 p.m. with the women’s game to follow at 8:30 p.m. These game times are an hour later and were determined by Cal Baptist University officials.
1/18/12: Gauchos cruise past Pirates to remain in first place
The Saddleback men’s basketball team opened up a quick lead and never looked back in defeating Orange Coast College, 86-68, on Wednesday night at the Saddleback Gymnasium. The Gauchos had a 20-point lead at halftime in holding on to first place in the Orange Empire Conference.
Saddleback looked like a team on a mission in the first half and didn’t let off the gas pedal in the second. The Gauchos were tenacious on defense, forcing the Pirates into 14 first-half turnovers while shooting 50% from the field in holding a 46-26 lead at the intermission. Things didn’t get any easier for Orange Coast in the second half as the Saddleback defense blocked six Pirate shots, opening up a 26-point lead with under four minutes remaining in the game before emptying the bench.
Josh Smith had a big night for Saddleback, scoring 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting. He was also dominant in the defensive end, blocking four Pirate shots while leading the Gauchos with nine rebounds. Miles Green chipped in 13 points while Darnell Taylor added 12 as the Gauchos shot 55% from the field for the game and 65% in the second half.
Saddleback improved to 13-7 on the season and 4-1 in Orange Empire Conference play with the win. The Gauchos still sit in first place in conference play and will have the rest of the week off before heading to rival Riverside College next Wednesday night. Game time is set for 5:30 PM at Cal Baptist University.
1/14/12:
Brevard stings the Hornets for 36 in win at Fullerton
For the second straight game, freshman guard AJ Brevard has been the catalyst for a win in men’s basketball in leading the Gauchos to a win in Orange Empire Conference play. On Friday night, Brevard scored 36 points as Saddleback downed Fullerton College, 83-71.
Brevard was red hot from three-point range, making 6-of-8 from downtown in leading the Gaucho attack on offense. Saddleback took the lead in the first minute of the game and never relinquished it the rest of the way.
In addition, Saddleback was dominant on the glass, holding a 48-26 advantage in rebounding in improving to 12-7 overall and 3-1 in Orange Empire Conference play. The Gauchos now hold a half game lead in OEC play after riverside lost to Santa Ana College on Friday night.
Saddleback will host Orange Coast College next Wednesday night. Tip time is set for 5:30 PM.
The 36 points by Brevard was just nine points off the program record set by Kevin McGree back in 1979-80. It was the best single-game scoring performance for a Gaucho since 1995-96, when former Saddleback legend Anthony Carter scored 44 points against Southwestern College.
1/12/12: Gauchos win 2-OT thriller at No. 6 IVC
The President’s Cup started out with a bang on Wednesday night with Saddleback defeating inter-district rival Irvine Valley College, 81-78, in double overtime at Irvine Valley. The Gauchos nailed a shot at the buzzer of regulation to send the game into extra frames before outlasting the Lasers, who came into the game rated No. 6 in the state.
Saddleback held a six-point lead at halftime and led by as many as 13 points with just over six minutes remaining in the game before things got tight down the stretch. Irvine Valley went on a 12-0 run from that point on, closing the gap to one point with just over two minutes remaining in regulation. The Gauchos then held a 59-55 advantage when IVC guard Kalob Hatcher cut the lead to one point with a three-point play with 58 seconds remaining. IVC would eventually take the lead with 12 seconds remaining and things would get even more ominous for the Gauchos after AJ Brevard (pictured left) missed a jumper with nine seconds remaining, leaving Saddleback with no other options other than to foul the Lasers. IVC guard Ramon Mejia appeared to put the final nail in the coffin for IVC when he nailed both free throws with 2.8 seconds remaining on the clock, giving the Lasers a 62-59 lead. Saddleback, however, was not about to be denied as Devin Golston (pictured right) took the inbound pass and found Josiah Thropay open on the left side for a three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game to overtime.
Saddleback once again led by as many as four points in the first overtime before IVC would battle back, giving the partisan crowd something to cheer about. With Saddleback leading 69-67 in the final seconds, Lasers’ guard Jordan Hamamoto drove to the basket and completed a layup with five seconds remaining, sending the game to yet another overtime period.
The second overtime was close throughout, as both teams traded baskets with IVC eventually taking a 78-77 lead with just under a minute remaining. The Lasers, however, would go scoreless from that point forward, watching their No. 6 state ranking go down the drain as Saddleback would get key free throws from Brevard and Golston in finishing them off, 81-78.
Brevard led the Saddleback attack with 24 points, making good on 8-of-11 free throws. The Gauchos were lethal from the charity stripe all night, making 29-of-36 (80.6%) in turning back the Lasers. Darnell Taylor chipped in 18 points of his own while Josh Smith led Saddleback with eight rebounds for the game. Both teams combined for 53 fouls in the game.
Saddleback improved to 11-7 overall and 2-1 in Orange Empire Conference play with the win. The Gauchos will travel to Fullerton College on Friday night to take on the 4-12 Hornets. Game time is set for 5:30 PM.
IVC fell to 14-4 overall and 1-1 in OEC play with the loss. The Lasers will hos Orange Coast College on Friday evening.
1/6/12: Men’s basketball bounces back with convincing win
Two nights after a disappointing loss in their Orange Empire Conference opener, the Saddleback men’s basketball bounced back with a convincing 73-55 win over Cypress College at the Saddleback Gymnasium. Darnell Taylor scored 27 points as the Gauchos broke open a close game midway through the second half.
Saddleback led 40-36 just four minutes into the second half before going on a 22-6 run to blow open the game. Cypress failed to score a field goal for 10:08 seconds, making good on a handful of free throws over that span. The Gaucho defense held Cypress to 30% shooting in the second half.
Taylor finished 8-for-14 from the field, making good on 11-of-13 free throws. He was also solid in the defensive end, leading the team with three steals and finishing with six rebounds.
Saddleback dominated the game on the glass, outrebounding the Chargers 42-27 for the night. Devin Golston led the Gauchos with 11 rebounds while Alex Worthen-Harris chipped in six.
Saddleback improved to 10-7 overall on the season with the win, and evened their conference record at 1-1. The Gauchos will play again next Wednesday at Irvine Valley College. Tipoff is set for 5:30 PM.
1/5/12: Men’s basketball falls in OEC opener
The men’s basketball team opened up Orange Empire Conference play on Wednesday night at Santa Ana College, and for the first 22 minutes it looked as if it the Gauchos would cruise to a comfortable victory. Saddleback, however, couldn’t find the bottom of the net in the second held as the Dons came back to beat the cold-shooting Gauchos, 47-44.
Saddleback had things in control two minutes into the second half, holding a 26-13 lead after forcing Santa Ana into 23% shooting from the field during the first 22 minutes of play. The Gauchos, however, were even worse, shooting just 21% from the field in the second half in opening OEC play with a disappointing loss after heading into the game with big wins over El Camino College and Mt. San Antonio College in non-conference play.
Saddleback had its roughest stretch of the season in the second half, scoring just four points over a span of 9:36. After a Josh Smith free throw gave the Gauchos a 26-13 lead at 18:47 of the second frame, Saddleback went just 2-for-11 from the field before Smith scored again at 9:21 of the second half to give Saddleback a 32-31 lead. Smith would finish with nine points on a night when Darnell Taylor (pictured) led the Gauchos with 14 points.
Saddleback struggled mightily from 3-point range, making just 2-of-14 shots all night, including a 1-for-9 game from AJ Brevard. The Gauchos didn’t help their cause at the free throw line, making only 10-of-22 shots from the charity stripe.
Saddleback fell to 9-7 overall with the loss, and will look to regroup on Friday night when they host Cypress College. Game time is set for 5:30 PM.
Santa Ana improved to 7-7 overall with the win.
12/15/11: Men’s basketball falls in Brummel opener
The Saddleback men’s basketball team has been going through a bit of a rough patch in recent weeks and it continued on Thursday night in the opening game of the Bill Brummel Classic. Saddleback battled back from a 20-point deficit before falling to Long Beach City College, 74-72.
For the second straight week, Saddleback was knocked into the consolation bracket of a tournament in their own building. The Gauchos played a rugged first 27 minutes, falling behind 50-30 at one point before storming back to make it a game. Saddleback closed the gap to 72-70 with 1:01 remaining in the game, but that is as close as they would get. Long Beach City would ice the game at the free throw line in the closing minute. Tyler Tuliau made two free throws with 24.8 seconds on the clock to push the lead to 74-70. Darren Hechanova would make a late basket for Saddleback with just 1.8 seconds remaining to close the gap to 74-72, but an inbound pass would ice the game for the Vikings, who won their first game of the season in improving to 1-8.
Saddleback shot 64% in the second half, making 18-of-28 shots in making a game of it. AJ Brevard led the attack, scoring 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field. The Gauchos also picked up the defensive pressure in the second half, forcing Long Beach into an 11-for-33 performance from the field in the second half, also holding a 20-17 advantage on the glass in the final 20 minutes.
Saddleback fell to 7-6 with the loss, and will now face Orange Empire Conference foe Cypress College in the consolation bracket. The Gauchos and Chargers are scheduled to tip off at 3:00 PM.
Other winners on day one included La Jolla Prep defeating LA Trade Tech, 93-79, El Camino over Irvine Valley, 52-49, and Mt. San Jacinto over Cypress, 67-51.
12/9/11: Men’s basketball can’t hold lead in tourney opener
The Saddleback men’s basketball team is hosting one of the top tournaments in the state this weekend, as a number of high-profile teams are in town to showcase their skills. The Gauchos opened up with a 68-67 loss to Ventura College after leading by as many as 13 points with under eight minutes remaining in the game.
Saddleback looked like a team on a mission for the first 32 minutes, leading 64-51 with the exclamation point being a powerful slam dunk from Josh Smith with 7:23 remaining. Unfortunately, from that point forward, the Gauchos finished 1-for-8 from the field and didn’t score another point until 1:31 left on the clock, also missing 2-of-3 free throws in the final minutes.
Ventura would eventually complete the comeback with just five seconds remaining in the game when Zalmico Harmon knocked down a jumper to give the Pirates their first lead since the 8:24 mark of the first half. Saddleback would take a timeout with three seconds remaining, but a quick turnover following the timeout would seal their fate, dropping them into the consolation bracket where they will face Fullerton College on Friday afternoon at 3:00 PM.
Saddleback was led by Darnell Taylor (upper left), who finished with 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field. Alex Worthen-Harris (right) led the Gauchos with nine rebounds for the night, also finishing with 11 points.
Austin Ramliak had a big night for Ventura, with a game-high 25 points. Ventura will face Santa Rosa College in the tournament semifinals on Friday evening at 7:00 PM. Santa Rosa was a 77-67 winner over Fullerton.
In other games on Thursday, Citrus College defeated Antelope Valley College 83-73 in the opening game of the tournament and Mt. San Antonio College defeated Riverside City College 81-75 in game two.
11/22/11: Men’s basketball 4-1 after latest win
The Saddleback men’s basketball team improved to 4-1 on the season with a 77-53 win over College of the Canyons on Tuesday evening at Canyons. Four Gauchos scored in double-figures as the Saddleback defense held the Cougars to 27% shooting from the field.
Darnell Taylor (left) led the offensive attack for the Gauchos, scoring 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field as Saddleback improved to 4-1 on the 2011-12 campaign. Devin Gholston added 12 points and AJ Brevard and Daren Hechanova both added 10 points apiece as Saddleback blew the game open in the second half after leading by seven at the intermission.
The Gaucho defense was stellar, forcing Canyons into 19 turnovers while picking up 13 steals in holding the Cougars to 15-for-55 shooting on the night. Saddleback also blocked four shots as 11 players broke into the scoring column, while Josh Smith led the Gauchos with six rebounds.
Saddleback will play again in the Grossmont College Tournament next Friday afternoon when they open the tournament against Los Angeles Southwest College at 2:00 PM. The Gauchos were rated No. 7 in the state in the latest CCCMBCA poll released on November 14.
11/18/11: Smith leads Gauchos to win in Fullerton opener
Saddleback improved to 2-0 on the season with a 78-75 win over College of the Desert on Thursday in the opener of the Fullerton College Tournament. Josh Smith (left) led the way for the Gauchos, finishing with 20 points and 15 rebounds as Saddleback advanced to the tournament semifinals where they will meet Barstow College.
Smith finished 5-of-10 from the field and 10-of-14 from the free throw line as the Gauchos won the battle on the glass for a second straight game. Darnell Taylor chipped in 16 points while Daren Hechanova and Alex Worthen-Harris both finished with 12 points apiece in the wining effort.
Saddleback made it to the free throw line 43 times, making 25 on a night when the Roadrunners committed 32 personal fouls. The Gauchos had an uncharacteristic 24 turnovers on the night, but made up for it with a 36-32 advantage on the boards in improving to 2-0 on the season.
Saddleback will play Barstow on Friday evening at 6:00 in the tournament semifinals. The other semifinal game features Rio Hondo College versus Chaffey College.
11/7/11: Gauchos pull away from San Diego City in season opener
The Saddleback men’s basketball team got 26 points and nine rebounds from freshman Darnell Taylor (left) in beating San Diego City College, 84-65, in the season opener on Monday at the Saddleback Gymnasium. The Gauchos went on an 18-6 run late in the game to close the door, opening the 2011-12 campaign on a high note.
Taylor finished 7-for-12 from the field, and was a perfect 12-for-12 from the free throw line in scoring 26 points in just 24 minutes on the court. He also led Saddleback with four assists and two steals, finishing one rebound behind sophomore Devin Golston, who led the Gauchos with 10 rebounds in 20 minutes of play.
Saddleback was dominant on the glass, winning the rebound battle 52-31 over the Knights in opening the season at 1-0. The Gauchos shot 48% from the field, making 4-of-9 from three-point range on the night.
Saddleback will play again at the Fullerton College Tournament, starting next Thursday.
11/2/11: Former Gaucho dominates first exhibition game
Former Saddleback basketball player Wendell Faines is off to a fast start at the next level after leading the Gauchos to the state tournament for two straight seasons. Faines opened his career at the University of Idaho by leading the Vandals to a win in an exhibition game against Evergreen State.
Faines was a pillar inside for Saddleback the past two seasons, leading the Gauchos back to the state tournament this past season after being a part of the state championship team the year before. He transferred to the University of Idaho, who plays in the Western Athletic Conference.
Faines scored 19 points with six rebounds and five blocked shots in his opening game for Idaho on Friday night. What made the performance more impressive was that Faines did not start the game, and played only 19 minutes, finishing 8-of-11 from the field.
Faines and the Vandals will have one more exhibition game this Saturday before opening the regular season at Long Beach State on November 12.
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Gritty defense has been a hallmark of the Andy Ground era at Saddleback College, so it was no surprise when the Gauchos showed up with a sense of purpose in the defensive end with their head coach looking for his 100th career win. Saddleback responded with a vicious effort, holding Santa Ana to 27% shooting for the night in a 
In the offensive zone, 
Saddleback once again led by as many as four points in the first overtime before IVC would battle back, giving the partisan crowd something to cheer about. With Saddleback leading 69-67 in the final seconds, Lasers’ guard 
Two nights after a disappointing loss in their Orange Empire Conference opener, the Saddleback men’s basketball bounced back with a convincing 
Ventura would eventually complete the comeback with just five seconds remaining in the game when Zalmico Harmon knocked down a jumper to give the Pirates their first lead since the 8:24 mark of the first half. Saddleback would take a timeout with three seconds remaining, but a quick turnover following the timeout would seal their fate, dropping them into the consolation bracket where they will face Fullerton College on Friday afternoon at 3:00 PM.
Saddleback improved to 2-0 on the season with a 78-75 win over College of the Desert on Thursday in the opener of the Fullerton College Tournament. 
Former Saddleback basketball player 
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