COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Cypress Gives Coach Johnson a Going-Away Gift by Upsetting Saddleback

Jim Falletta made a six-foot baseline jumper with two seconds left to give host Cypress a 64-62 upset of first-place Saddleback in an Orange Empire Conference men’s basketball game.

The victory came a day after Cypress Coach Don Johnson announced his retirement, effective at the end of the season. Johnson is California’s winningest community college men’s basketball coach.

The Cypress victory ended Saddleback’s eight-game conference winning streak and dropped the Gauchos into a first-place tie with Riverside with three games left. Saddleback (19-7, 9-2) plays host to Golden West and Orange Coast is at Riverside Friday.

Craig Olson had 15 points and Matt Kennedy added 14 for Cypress (13-17, 4-7).

In other Orange Empire Conference men’s games:

Riverside 98, Fullerton 76--Ronald Kenan had 25 points for host Riverside (23-6, 9-2). Tyrone Merriweather scored 16 for Fullerton (21-9, 6-5).

Orange Coast 88, Golden West 81--Derek Roche had 26 points host OCC (13-13, 3-8), which has won two consecutive games after losing seven in a row.

Rancho Santiago 98, Irvine Valley 93--Sean Amos scored 30 points for visiting Rancho Santiago (19-9, 7-4).

In Orange Empire Conference women’s games:

Golden West 65, Orange Coast 55--Julie Murdent scored 22 points and added 17 rebounds as host Golden West (27-4, 9-1) clinched a tie for its fifth consecutive conference title. It was also the 66th consecutive home victory for Golden West.

OCC’s Flo Luppani made a pair of three-pointers to cut Golden West’s lead to 47-46 with 8:02 left but the Rustlers scored the next six points. Orange Coast got as close as four, 56-52, with 1:32 left but Kristin Brun made four free throws in the next minute to keep the lead safe.

LeAnn Kazmer had 16 points and America Robledo added 11 for Orange Coast (17-11, 5-4).