COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Saddleback Gets Early Start on Victory

Saddleback College went on an 11-0 run to start the game, then cruised to an 87-73 victory over East Los Angeles in the first round of the 15th Rancho Santiago Holiday Tournament Thursday in Santa Ana.

Ray Ankton had 17 points, as all five Gaucho starters scored in double figures. Dee Boyer had 15, Josh Borella had 13 and Jody Smith and Jeff Springfield had 12 each.

Boyer, a sophomore center, also had game-highs in rebounds with 10 and blocked shots with four.

He was seven of 10 from the field, but struggled from the free-throw line, missing all six of his free throws in the first half. He finished one of nine.

Ankton, a sophomore guard, was six of 11 from the field and made all four of his free throws.

Saddleback (5-7) advances to play Long Beach at 6 tonight in one championship semifinal. Long Beach (15-4), the top-ranked team in Southern California, defeated Santa Monica, 90-77, in another first-round game Thursday.

In another tournament game:

Rancho Santiago 83, Washington Wenatchee Valley 72--Beau Hossler had 21 points and Glenn Greene added 20 as the Dons (11-5) won their first-round game.

Rancho Santiago started the game with a 10-0 run, but Wenatchee Valley (5-7) rallied to take a 32-30 lead with 2:46 left in the half. The Dons regrouped to take a 40-35 halftime lead.

Hossler scored six of Rancho Santiago’s first eight points in the second half, and the Dons increased their lead to 48-37 with about 17 minutes left.

Rancho Santiago got at least one three-pointer from six of the seven players who scored. Ruben Oronoz finished with 15 points and J.J. Ballesteros had 10 for Rancho Santiago.