Saddleback Builds Steam With Win Over Fullerton
Saddleback played another in a series of solid games Friday as the visiting Gauchos dismantled Fullerton, 87-62, in an Orange Empire Conference men’s basketball game.
Saddleback (14-8, 5-1) is tied for first in conference with Riverside. The teams play Wednesday at Riverside in the final game of the first of two rounds of conference play.
The Gauchos will go into that game knowing they are playing well.
“That’s one of our better performances in the last couple of years,” Saddleback Coach Bill Brummel said after his team shot 53%. “We had a bunch of guys play really well.”
Leading the way on offense was sophomore guard Vernon Jackson. He scored 23 points, including making all nine of his free-throw attempts.
Jackson said he knows why the Gauchos have won seven of the past nine.
“We’re talking to each other and know what everybody can do now,” he said, “and coach has a lot of confidence in us. He lets us run our game as long as we are [in control].”
Besides being the high scorer, Jackson had the move of the game. He drove along the baseline, took off protecting the ball by putting it well behind his head, then threw it up off the backboard and into the basket as he was fouled hard by two players. The three-point play put Saddleback ahead, 76-49, with 4 minutes 38 seconds to play.
“I knew there would be contact,” Jackson said. “I was just concentrating on the hole.”
The least expected move came when Fullerton had called a timeout with 9:52 left after Saddleback’s Yousof Etemadi made a three-pointer for a 62-42 lead. As soon as the ball was inbounded, Fullerton was called for a technical foul for having six players on the court.
Jackson made both free throws awarded because of the technical, then made two more after he was fouled going to the basket 10 seconds later.
Semaj Johnson scored 18 and Andre Jackson had 17 for Saddleback. Rashaun Thomas and Ronald Strange had 13 each for Fullerton (12-11, 3-3), which was one of four teams tied for first place a week ago.