COMMUNITY COLLEGE REGIONAL BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT : Rancho Santiago’s Bench Presses Santa Monica

Rancho Santiago’s Elton Moore and Daryl Cole have spent the season backing up two of the best inside players in Southern California--Erik Martin and Corie Blount.

But Moore and Cole stepped forward Wednesday to score 20 and 15 points respectively as the Dons rolled past Santa Monica, 91-76, in the second round of the Southern California Regional playoffs in Santa Ana.

Moore’s 20 points, including 13 in the second half, was a career high. Cole had 10 in the second half.

The victory moves the Dons (31-2) into a regional final Saturday against Los Angeles City in Santa Ana. LA City defeated Cerritos, 84-82, Wednesday.

“Both did an excellent job,” Rancho Santiago Coach Dana Pagett said of Moore and Cole. “I thought both Eric and Corie had sub-par nights.”

Actually, Blount scored 13 points and Martin had 11, but when you are the co-most valuable players of the Orange Empire Conference, expectations tend to be high.

Blount was bothered by fouls, getting his third early in the second half and his fourth with 8 minutes 38 seconds left. Martin’s troubles were caused by a touch of the flu as well as an elbow to his nose. That happened when he went up for a rebound in the second half with about eight minutes left. He went to the bench and didn’t return.

The absence of the standouts left a hole that Moore and Cole filled nicely as the Dons pulled away. Rancho Santiago was sluggish for the first 14 minutes and never led by more than eight. But the Dons took control with a 24-5 run in the final 5:55 of the first half.

Brett Pagett keyed the run with seven points, including a three-pointer. Eric Kutus, Glenn Greene and Cole also had three-pointers and Moore had a three-point play. Martin had three points and LaVern Broadnax had a basket in the run.

Pagett, the son of Dons’ Coach Dana , ended with 13 points and eight assists.

“We just got really hot,” Dana Pagett said. “All I know is that when I looked up it was a nice margin.”

Dorin Manigo scored 22 points and had eight assists for Santa Monica (22-12). Donald Smith had 18 points, but was held to just two in the first half. Santa Monica was without starting forward Earic Peters who injuried his shoulder in the Corsairs’ 82-73 victory over El Camino in the first round.

In other second-round games:

Cypress 75, Antelope Valley 60--Visiting Cypress held Antelope Valley, which leads the state in scoring, to 45 points below its average and won convincingly at Antelope Valley. J.R. Rider, who entered the game averaging 34.1 points, scored only nine points, all in the first half, for Antelope Valley (25-6). He was two of 17 from the floor.

Cypress led, 32-30, at halftime but led by as many as 12 points before Antelope Valley cut the lead to seven twice in the final few minutes. Cypress (24-10) made 12 of 12 free throws in the last two minutes to seal the victory.

Eric Pauley scored 24 points and had 12 rebounds, Charles Lockard had 21 points and Brian Kenney had 18 for Cypress.

Cypress will be at Ventura Saturday in one of four regional finals.

Ventura 88, Fullerton 73--Ventura led, 58-39, with 14:30 left in the second half, but Fullerton went on an 18-2 run to cut it to 60-57 with 7:30 left. However, Ventura went on a 17-4 run in next five minutes to take 77-61 lead and was not seriously threatened again. Bob Terry scored 31 points, Kenney Cross scored 12 and Ed Martinez scored 11 for Fullerton (16-16). DiJon Barnard scored 31 and Uba Satterfield scored 21 for second-seeded Ventura (30-4).

Imperial Valley 64, Saddleback 61--Saddleback’s Dee Boyer appeared to tie the score, 63-63, with a layup with six seconds left but was instead called for traveling as host Imperial Valley went on to victory. Saddleback had fallen behind, 19-3, in the first six minutes but rallied to trail, 30-24, at the break. Boyer had 13 points and Roy Ankton had 16.

Imperial Valley (29-3) plays host to Compton Saturday in a regional final. Saddleback ends at 18-12.