COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Rancho Santiago Survives Riverside’s Best Shot

Rancho Santiago College ended its first round of the Orange Empire Conference Wednesday with a 99-87 victory over host Riverside. But it was hardly the ho-hum kind of game the state’s top-ranked community college team has had lately.

The Dons (24-1, 6-0), who stretched their winning streak to 21 games, had won each of their previous four games by at least 16 points.

Early on against Riverside, it appeared as if that pattern would continue. Rancho Santiago led, 44-26, at the half and had its biggest lead at 51-28 with 17:50 left.

From that point, Riverside let loose with a flurry of three-pointers that reduced the lead to 84-80 with 2:50 left.

But Rancho Santiago, playing for the first time in a week, didn’t fold and instead rallied to put the game away.

“It was good that we got tested,” Rancho Santiago Coach Dana Pagett said. “They came at us pretty hard, but we hung in and that was good.”

Brett Pagett upped Rancho Santiago’s lead to 87-80 when he hit his only three-pointer of the game with 2:30 left.

Corie Blount had blocks on each of Riverside’s next two possessions. He also made one of two free throws and Eric Martin had a dunk to give Rancho Santiago a 90-82 lead with 1:30 left.

Riverside’s Etienne Graves made a three-pointer to cut the margin to 90-85 with 1:10 left. But Blount scored on a layup nine seconds later, was fouled and made the free throw, and Glenn Greene had two free throws and two break-away baskets in the final minute to keep Rancho Santiago’s lead safe.

Martin finished with 30 points and nine rebounds, and Blount had 21 points and 15 rebounds.

Greene and Broadnax had 16 points each and Daryl Cole had 10 points also for the Dons, who will play host to second-place Cypress Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Fred Haygood had 24 points for Riverside, including two three-pointers. But Eric Dahl was the big problem for Rancho Santiago in the second half; he made six of eight three-pointers and finished with 18 points.

Riverside made 11 of 25 three-point attempts in the game and 10 of 18 in the second half.

In other Orange Empire Conference men’s basketball games:

Cypress 73, Fullerton 72--Flip Banks scored a layup with nine seconds left for Cypress (18-8, 5-1). Banks was fouled on the play and missed the free throw, and Cypress had to weather a missed five-foot jumper by Bob Terry and a failed tip-in by Gary Hunter. Eric Pauley scored 18 and Charles Lockard 13 for Cypress. Hunter scored 23 points and Terry 19 for Fullerton (12-12, 1-5).

Orange Coast 75, Saddleback 61--Brian Spratt scored 24 points and pulled down 14 rebounds for Orange Coast (11-12, 2-4). Greg Reynolds had 14 points for Saddleback (12-10, 3-3).

In Orange Empire Conference women’s basketball:

Fullerton 59, Cypress 37--Hollie Keeton had 17 points and 15 rebounds for host Fullerton (18-5, 4-2). Jackie Boxley led Cypress (2-21, 1-5) with 15 points.

Riverside 74, Rancho Santiago 54--Katrina Sullivan and Bobbie White each scored 16 points for Riverside (18-6, 5-1). Cheryl Henderson scored 17 points and Marianne Karp added 16 points and eight rebounds for Rancho Santiago (7-15, 0-6).

Saddleback 71, Orange Coast 69--Erin Schimeneck had 18 point sand 13 rebounds for Saddleback (15-6, 3-3). Ericka Manning had 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Pirates (12-13, 2-4).