Community College Basketball : OCC Hangs On at the Line to Down Saddleback, 69-60

Orange Coast College took an early lead and held on with some strong free throw shooting in the final minutes for a 69-60 win over Saddleback in a South Coast Conference game Saturday night in the Pirates’ gym.

The Pirates hit 9 of their first 10 shots to take an 18-8 lead at the outset. Saddleback rallied to take a 26-24 lead with 3:42 left in the first half, but Orange Coast scored 11 straight points to go up by nine at halftime. Saddleback was forced to play catch-up throughout the second half.

The Gauchos (0-3 in conference, 10-7 overall) were forced to foul late in the game and Orange Coast responded, finishing the game 25 of 32 from the free throw line. Jon Johnston, a 5-10 freshman guard, led the Pirates (2-1, 11-6) with a season-high 19 points and was the game’s leading rebounder with 6, despite second-half foul trouble.

Shaughn Ryan had 15 points, 6 assists and 6 steals for the Pirates, and Mark Goudge contributed 17 points.

Eric Cornly led four Saddleback players in double-figures with 14 points, and Alexander Hamilton added 13.

The win was Orange Coast’s first over Saddleback since the teams met for the 1979 state championship.

SADDLEBACK (60)--Hamilton 13, Mulder 11, Thomas 10, Cornly 14, Dawson 4, Taylor 6, Sullivan 2.

ORANGE COAST (69)--Johnston 19, Goudge 17, Drake 2, Morton 10, Ryan 15, Mullet 3, Farmer 1, Toomey 2.

Halftime: Orange Coast, 35-26. In other South Coast Conference action:

Fullerton 55, Cypress 46 (OT)--Jon Samuelson had five of his team-high 12 points in overtime as the Hornets outscored Cypress, 14-5, in the extra period for the victory at Cypress.

Both teams had opportunities to win in regulation. Greg Marusich dribbled the ball off his leg and out of bounds for a Cypress turnover with 16 seconds left, but Fullerton’s Jim Smith missed the front of a one-and-one with two seconds left to send the game into overtime.

FULLERTON (55)--Smith 6, Trueman 2, Rollins 11, Samuelson 12, Pratt 12, Long 10, Haymond 2.

CYPRESS (46)--Bailey 8, Martineau 6, Horn 10, Marusich 6, Swanner 4, Berwick 12.

Halftime: Fullerton, 20-17.

End regulation: 41-41.

Mt. SAC 53, Santa Ana 51--The Dons never led, pulling to within two twice in the final minute before falling at Walnut. Santa Ana got the ball and an opportunity to tie with seven seconds left, but Scott Warner was called for traveling with two seconds to play, enabling Mt. SAC to hold on.

Warner and guard Jeff Hughes combined to score 41 points for the Dons (1-1, 9-5), who saw their five-game winning streak snapped. Ken Ramirez led four Mounties in double-figures with 14 points. Mt. SAC remains tied with Cerritos for the conference lead at 3-0.

SANTA ANA (51)--Hughes 19, Warner 22, Lewis 2, Streavel 2, McCall 2, Shaw 4.

MT. SAC (53)--Tarkanian 10, Ramirez 14, Richard 10, Bailey 4, Leonard 10, Bragg 3, Frazier 2.

Halftime: Mt. SAC, 27-24.

Cerritos 92, Golden West 73--The Falcons had a four-point lead at halftime but pulled away in the second half for the easy win on their home floor.

Joe Yezbak and Brian Coleman had 10 points each in the second half for Cerritos (3-0, 12-3). The Falcons were 22 of 25 from the free throw line.

Marc Lorigan, the South Coast Conference’s leading scorer, had 19 points for Golden West before fouling out with 11:40 to play.

GOLDEN WEST (73)--Lorigan 19, Love 9, Debbs 12, Smith 5, Bruce 15, Hutson 6, Mann 2, Jeffers 2, Rasmussen 3.

CERRITOS (92)--Wadlington 6, Yezbak 20, Coleman 18, Heicke 12, Guy 8, Buell 4, Collins 2, Miller 5, Andrews 6, Strachan 6, Lueke 3, Zagorski 2.

Halftime: Cerritos, 36-32.