State Community College Basketball Tournament : Saddleback Hands Loss to Skyline : Gauchos to Play Rancho Santiago in the Semifinals

Saddleback College overcame a 14-point second-half deficit Thursday night to upset Skyline College, 64-62, in the quarterfinal round of the community college men’s state basketball tournament at Loyola Marymount University.

Saddleback plays Rancho Santiago tonight at 8 in one semifinal and Ventura plays San Joaquin Delta in the other at 6.

Skyline, which had its 19-game winning streak snapped, had taken a 51-37 lead with a 13:17 left.

But Skyline got into foul trouble, and Saddlback got back into the game.

When Skyline’s Brad Smith received his fourth foul with 12:37 left he went to the bench. Smith had scored 16 points before leaving but didn’t score again. Point guard John Grinston, who got his fourth foul 10 seconds later, also went to the bench. Both stayed there until the final three minutes.

Reserve guard Renny Ingram then stepped in to lead Saddleback’s charge.

He finished with 15 points, including 8 of the Gauchos’ last 13 points, and 11 in the second half. Ingram made back-to-back three-point baskets to help cut the lead.

His first three-pointer made the score, 55-51 with 7:21 left and his second made it 58-54 with 3:47 remaining.

Tom Desiano made a three-pointer at 3:16 to bring the Guachos to within one point, 58-57.

Saddleback took the lead for the first time on Ton Villanueva’s 18-foot jump shot with 2:36 left. Villanueva finished with 17 points.

Sean Newman drove baseline and made a layup to put Skyline ahead, 60-59 at 2:02. Saddleback’s Vincent Smalls made two free throws to put Saddleback ahead for good, 61-60 with 1:47 left.

Skyline (28-4) had a chance to take the lead but Smith missed two free throws with 1:15 left. He received his fifth foul with 33 seconds left as he fouled Ingram who made both free throws to put Saddleback ahead, 64-60.

“Our defense picked up in the second half,” said Bill Brummel, Saddleback coach. “We also picked up the tempo on offense and adjusted to their press.”

In other quarterfinal games:

Rancho Santiago 66, Merced 60--The Dons opened a 32-13 lead with 5:44 left in the first half and hung on the rest of the way.

Brent Martin made four free throws in the final 1:11 to hold off Merced.

Martin put Rancho Santiago ahead, 63-60, when he made a two free throws with 24 seconds left. Merced had a chance to tie but Chris Jefferson blocked Eric Irgram’s three-point shot. Howard Cole got the rebound and made two free throws to put Rancho Santiago ahead, 65-60, with 11 seconds left. Martin made a free-throw with two seconds left for the final point.

Rancho Santiago has defeated Saddleback three times this season. The Dons beat Saddleback, 65-64, in the championship of the Rancho Santiago Holiday Tournament in Dec. Rancho Santiago (29-4) also won both Orange Empire Conference games: 65-60 at Saddleback and 49-47 at Rancho Santiago.

San Joaquin Delta (29-2) defeated Compton (25-5) despite Andrey Wiley’s 29 points and Ventura defeated Columbia, 102-92, in the other quarterfinal.