COMMUNITY COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Cypress Survives Collapse, Wins

Freshman Mike Renaud scored a career-high 13 points Wednesday to lead Cypress College to a 67-60 victory over Riverside that clinched a share of the Orange Empire Conference title for the Chargers.

Renaud scored seven of Cypress’ final nine points to help prevent the Chargers from blowing a 20-point second-half lead--no matter how hard they seemed to try.

Cypress, the top-ranked team in Southern California and second in the state, displayed a little of the form that got them there with their play in the second half.

The Chargers led, 50-30, with 16:48 left in the game after leading, 42-25, at the half. Cypress then seemed to forget how to score. The Chargers went 8:33 without scoring a point, and 10:05 without getting a basket.

Even with the extended drought, Cypress still led, 56-43, with 6:43 left after a basket by Nate Shea-han. But Riverside continued to rally with 12-2 run that cut the lead to, 58-55, with 2:29 left.

But then Renaud, from El Dorado High School, took over, making both ends of two one-and-ones as well as the front end of another. He also had an important, albeit unplanned, basket. He hit a 18-footer with 40 seconds left in the game clock that just beat the 45-seconds clock.

“I was aware of the clock,” Renaud said. “We were yelling to shoot it. We normally try to get the ball inside, but we couldn’t so I shot.”

Getting the ball inside was hard for Cypress all night, but holding on to it almost as difficult in the second half. The Chargers turned the ball over 18 times and took only 12 shots, making six in the second half.

Cypress had 23 turnovers, and shot 56.7% (21-37) in the game.

“We don’t know what to do with prosperity at the half,” Cypress Coach Don Johnson said. “Turning the ball over seems to be contagious. Riverside is very quick and played good pressure defense and we didn’t react well . . . But Mike (Renaud) seems to becoming a clutch player.”

Vince Hizon led Cypress with 19 points and added six rebounds, and Brian Kenney had 11. But Kenney also had a team-high seven turnovers. Center Eric Pauley, who averages 11.1 points, scored only four and took just three shots. Andre Lamoureux, who averages 11.7, scored three points, all on free throws.

Cypress (24-3, 11-0) in conference) plays at second-place Rancho Santiago (27-2, 10-1) Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Rancho Santiago needs a victory to force a co-championship.

In other Orange Empire Conference games:

Rancho Santiago 72, Orange Coast 60--Matt Lien had 17 points, Alvin Loftis had 16 points and Gene Altamirano had 14 points to lead visiting Rancho Santiago (27-2, 10-1). Chip Hanlon had 20 points and Scott DeStefano had 10 points and 10 rebounds for Orange Coast (13-13, 2-9).

Saddleback 95, Fullerton 86--Charles Lockard scored 32 points, including a school-record eight three-pointers, and he had nine assists to lead host Saddleback (9-18, 2-9). Lockard’s eight three-pointers also gave him the Saddleback record for most three-point goals and attempts in a season: Lockard has scored 69 of 157 attempts.

Matt Thompson had 16 points and 13 rebounds for Saddleback. Fullerton (11-18, 2-9) was led by Rashone Lewis, who had 28 points and 10 rebounds.

In Orange Empire Conference women’s basketball:

Orange Coast 86, Rancho Santiago 52--Eika Manning had 18 points and Cynthia Kollar scored 16 to lead visiting Orange Coast (25-5, 9-2).

Fullerton 74, Saddleback 42--Amber Hayden, Stacey Johnson and Angie Nelsen each had 12 points to lead Fullerton (16-12, 8-3). Shannon Garnof had 18 points for Saddleback (13-15, 4-7).