COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Carter Helps Saddleback Overpower Riverside

Anthony Carter scored a career-high 43 points as Saddleback shocked host Riverside, 84-72, in a first-place showdown in the Orange Empire Conference men’s basketball race.

Carter, a freshman guard who scored the first eight points of the game, finished the first half with 25. He ended the game with a dunk to complete his night on which he was 19 of 25 from the floor.

“They were leaving me open and coach told me to just go ahead and shoot,” Carter said.

It was the 14th consecutive victory for Saddleback (20-3, 7-0 in conference), which ends the first round with a one-game lead over Riverside (22-3, 6-1) and a two-game lead over Rancho Santiago (17-6, 5-2). Saddleback visits Rancho Santiago Friday at 7 p.m..

The loss stops Riverside’s 16-game winning streak and 21-game home streak.

“I told our guys that Anthony was going to have a big game against Riverside,” Saddleback Coach Bill Brummel said. “He hit some really hard shots with their guys all over him.”

Saddleback, ranked seventh in the state, led the whole way. The Gauchos were up at the half, 47-38, and seemed to have things well in hand when Keith Gwyn scored with 8 minutes 12 seconds left to put them up, 71-55. But Riverside, ranked fifth in the state, used a 9-0 run to get within four, 74-70, with 4:12 left.

After a timeout, Micah Kroeger silenced the crowd of more than 800 when he made a 15-footer to put the Gauchos ahead, 76-70, with 4:12 left.

Kroeger and Gwyn fouled out over the next minute but substitutes Sean Morris and Caleb Ashley played tough and Riverside never got closer than six the rest of the way.

Kroeger, playing despite a painful groin injury, finished with 14. Eric Ambrozich, who re-injured his hamstring but refused to come out, added nine points and seven rebounds.

Gwyn had 10 rebounds and Frank Allen had a career-high 13 assists, including two lob passes to Carter for dunks.

“We were reading in the papers how (Riverside) said they were going to go 14-0 in conference,” Carter said. “We came out here, kept our mouths shut and showed them that they’re not. . . . I’m not going to say what are record is going to be.”

Ronald Kenan had 23 for Riverside, which made seven of 25 three-point attempts.