COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Irvine Valley Gives Mulligan Reason to Celebrate

Irvine Valley Coach Bill Mulligan reached accepted retirement age Friday but his team will make him work on.

The host Lasers, playing on Mulligan’s 65 birthday, beat Grossmont, 113-84, in the first round of the Southern California playoffs to advance to the second round. As for actually retiring, Mulligan said he has yet to make up his mind.

“We don’t know yet,” he said.

Grossmont, with only six players because of suspensions and injuries, played pretty well early and led, 34-32, with 6 minutes 32 seconds left in the first half.

But Irvine Valley dominated the rest of the half and the game. The Lasers, led by center Keon Clark, led at halftime, 56-45, then started the second half with a 7-0 run. Clark was nine of nine from the field and finished the half with 17.

Clark’s night was cut short when he landed hard on his back with 15:31 left and didn’t return because of back spasms. He finished with 21 points, including seven dunks.

Josh Porter had 18, and Brook Lister and Brian Linsenmayer had 13 each for Irvine Valley, which advances to the second round Wednesday. Irvine Valley plays the winner of College of the Desert and top-seeded Ventura, which meet tonight at Ventura.

In another first-round game:

Saddleback 89, Oxnard 66--Micah Kroeger scored a game-high 23 points before fouling out with 2:38 left for host Saddleback (26-5). Eric Ambrozich added 19 points and eight rebounds for the Gauchos, who advance to the second round. Saddleback plays the winner of Antelope Valley and Santa Barbara, which play at 7 tonight at Antelope Valley.

Rancho Santiago 76, Bakersfield 63--Nick Holt had 22 and Jimmy Harris and Marlon Watson added 14 each for host Rancho Santiago (23-8), which pulled away in the second half. The Dons led, 36-30, at halftime. Rancho Santiago advances to the second round Wednesday against the winner Orange Coast and Cuesta, which meet tonight in San Luis Obispo.

In the San Diego Golf Academy Invitational:

Rick Redding of Orange Coast shot a 69 to take first on the par 72 Whispering Palms course in San Diego.

In nonconference softball:

Fullerton 11, San Diego Mesa 0--Jill Otto carried a perfect game for 5 1/3 innings and ended with seven strikeouts and no walks in a one-hitter for Fullerton (6-2). Otto also went two for three, scoring three runs. Stephanie Mendoza drove in three runs for the Hornets.

Southwestern 4, Irvine Valley 2--Freshman center fielder Louise Lew hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh, but it wasn’t enough for Irvine Valley (1-6).

In Orange Empire women’s tennis:

Golden West 9, Saddleback 0--Nadine Abel defeated Vicki Peterson, 6-0, 6-0, and Michelle Turner also won in straight sets over Jeri Martel, 6-0, 6-0. The Rustlers (4-1, 2-0) are ranked sixth in state.

In Orange Empire Conference men’s track and field:

Saddleback 96, San Diego Mesa 48, Grossmont 32--Bill Brown of Saddleback (3-1) finished first in the 110 hurdles (15.4) and the 400 intermediate hurdles (1:00).

In Orange Empire Conference women’s track and field:

San Diego Mesa 98, Saddleback 38, Grossmont 26--Courtney Leonard won three events for Saddleback (2-2). She finished first in both hurdle events, winning the 100 in 18.4 and the 400 intermediates in 1:12. In the long jump she took first with a leap of 14-8 1/2.