Community College Basketball : It’s Just Another Overtime Win for Fullerton, 86-80

After Santa Ana College had forced Wednesday night’s South Coast Conference game against heavily favored Fullerton into overtime, the Dons celebrated. They figured they had a shot at upsetting the Hornets.

But Santa Ana should have known better.

Fullerton, after all, doesn’t lose in overtime games, as it proved one more time Wednesday.

The Hornets, seemingly beaten, rallied from a six-point deficit late in regulation, tied the score and then beat the stunned Dons in overtime, 86-80, before a sparse crowd in Bill Cook Gym at Santa Ana.

The Hornets (11-3 in conference and 17-10 overall) have won six SCC games in overtime this year without a loss. The win, Fullerton’s sixth consecutive overall, also kept the Hornets in a second-place tie with Mt. San Antonio, which beat Orange Coast, 61-49, Wednesday night.

Santa Ana (2-12, 10-17) took the lead, 56-55, for the first time with 7:50 remaining on a three-point play by Richard Williams. The teams exchanged the lead for the next few minutes before the Dons, led by Tim Streavel and Ryan Shaw, built a 69-63 lead with only 2:17 remaining.

But then Fullerton began playing as aggressively, beating the Dons to rebounds and loose balls. Helped by some key Santa Ana turnovers and missed free throws, Fullerton tied the score, 71-71, on a long jump shot by Jim Smith and actually could have won in regulation, but Michael Long missed a free throw with two seconds left.

In overtime, guard Todd Trueman became the unlikely hero for the Hornets. In regulation, the former La Habra High School star had only two points, but in overtime he scored Fullerton’s first eight points, the first two baskets coming on 25-foot jump shots.

Fullerton quickly built a four-point lead in the extra period and made its free throws to win a game.

“Just another overtime win,” Fullerton Coach Roger See said. “The kids get so confident going into overtime games now, they seem to get a second wind.”

Long led Fullerton with 20 and JOn Samuelson added 16 in his third straight strong game. Santa Ana’s Scott Warner led all scorers with 24 points and Jeff Hughes had 18.

FULLERTON (86)--Samuelson 16, Rollins 8, Long 20, Smith 18, Trueman 10, Haymond 5, Pratt 9.

SANTA ANA (80)--Williams 9, Prange 2, Shaw 17, Hughes 18, Warner 24, Escobedo 4, Streavel 6.

Haltime--Fullerton, 32-27.

Regulation--71-71.

In other South Coast Conference action:

Saddleback 81, Golden West 74--Alexander Hamilton scored 28 points and Dan Mulder had 19 points and 8 rebounds to lead the Gauchos (6-8, 16-12) past the Rustlers (0-15, 7-21) in Huntington Beach. The loss was Golden West’s 16th straight.

SADDLEBACK (81)--Hamilton 28, Dawson 4, Mulder 19, Cornly 8, Thomas 3, Taylor 13, Sullivan 2, Carr 4.

GOLDEN WEST (74)--Love 20, Bruce 14, Mann 2, Debbs 8, Smith 18, Jeffers 12.

Halftime--Saddleback, 45-44.