COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Saddleback Wins Its Sixth in a Row

Saddleback continued to put its early-season troubles further behind with a 93-76 victory over Southwestern in a nonconference men’s basketball game Saturday in Mission Viejo.

Saddleback was expected to be a favorite for the Orange Empire Conference title when the season started in November, but the Gauchos lost returning starter Pat Brown when he failed to meet academic requirements, and had trouble playing as a team for an entire game.

But with the victory Saturday, Saddleback (9-7) has won six in a row.

Saddleback got going last weekend by winning the Rancho Santiago Holiday Tournament.

In the tournament, Saddleback defeated Long Beach, the top-ranked team in Southern California, and Rancho Santiago, the two-time defending state champion.

“Teams take a while sometimes to come together,” Saddleback Coach Bill Brummel said. “But I hope we can just continue it.”

Saddleback had six players score in doubles figures Saturday, led by Jody Smith who had 18, 15 in the first half.

The score was tied, 9-9, when Ray Ankton and Smith hit consecutive three-pointers and Jeff Springfield made a short jumper to give Saddleback a 17-9 lead with 14 minutes 35 seconds left.

Southwestern (15-5) made one run at Saddleback later in the half, but Saddleback rallied to lead, 50-37, at the break.

The lead grew in the second half, partly because of the fine inside play of Springfield, a 6-foot-7 sophomore. He had 12 points in the half and finished with 14.

Ankton scored 16, Paul LaMott had 13 and Sean Stevenson and Dee Boyer added 10 each.

Boyer had eight points early in the game, but picked up his second foul and sat out for the final 12 minutes of the half. But Springfield, a starter, and reserves Stevenson and LaMott played well in Boyer’s absence.

Saddleback starts Orange Empire Conference play Wednesday night at Orange Coast.