COMMUNITY COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Rancho Santiago Downs Pasadena

Rancho Santiago advanced to the championship game of the Pasadena tournament for the third year in a row with a 69-59 victory over host Pasadena on Friday.

Sophomore guard Eric Dahl, a transfer from Riverside College, had 17 points, including two three-pointers, for Rancho Santiago (10-4). Rancho Santiago opened a 37-25 lead at the half and Pasadena got only as close as eight in the second half.

Rancho Santiago, which has won the tournament the past two years, plays Ventura at 9 tonight for the title.

Sophomore Glenn Greene was the only other Rancho Santiago player in double figures with 12.

Rick Swanwick had seven points and a team-high 14 rebounds.

In the Bill Taormina Classic at Cypress:

Cypress 70, Washington Columbia Basin 69--Columbia Basin had a chance for a final shot but Roland Garcia lost the ball out of bounds as he drove for the basket with four seconds left. Cypress’ Brett Evans was defending him.

Cypress’ Tom Barraza made the second of two free throws with 1 minute 11 seconds left to give Cypress a 70-67 lead. Columbia Basin’s Eton Pope made a basket to take the lead, 70-69, with 57 seconds left.

Cypress had the ball but missed a shot with 19 seconds left and Columbia Basin got the ball for the final time.

Robbie Shelton, who had 16 points for Cypress, made a layup with 1:46 left to give the Chargers (9-4) a 68-65 lead. David Boyle also scored 16 for Cypress, which plays Oxnard at 7 tonight for the title. Oxnard defeated MiraCosta, 64-53, in the other semifinal Friday.

The last time the team met in Cypress was in the first round of the 1990 state playoffs. Cypress won, giving Coach Don Johnson his 500th career victory.

In the Modesto tournament:

Long Beach 74, Golden West 67--Golden West was eliminated from the tournament with the loss.

In nonconference men’s basketball:

Saddleback 91, San Diego Mesa 90--Ray Ankton scored a season-high 27 points as Saddleback (4-7) won at home. The Gauchos led, 47-41, at the half and withstood a San Diego Mesa rally. Jody Smith scored 16, including four three-pointers, for Saddleback.

Dee Boyer, a 6-foot-10 forward, scored 22 points and had 11 rebounds for Saddleback. Boyer has signed a letter of intent to play at UC Irvine next season.