Conor Clifford scored 17 pts and Dusty Baker had 13 including the two free throws that clinched the 61-57 win for #1-ranked Saddleback Wednesday night in a key rivalry game against visting Irvine Valley.
Saddleback (20-1, 3-0) appeared to be on its way to an easy win, taking a 13-point lead with just over eight minutes left to play. But in those final eight minutes, coach Andy Ground was ejected and Irvine Valley (8-9, 1-1) erased most of that deficit and came oh-so-close to tying the score not once but twice in the final minute.
The Gauchos entered the game as the newly-announted #1-ranked team in California, riding a 14-game win streak that included four tournament championships. Meanwhile, Irvine Valley sported just a .500 record, though the Lasers were coming off perhaps their best effort of the season so far, a 20-point win over Orange Coast in their conference opener.
To start the game, the teams took turns going on runs. Irvine Valley took a 4-0 lead on two baskets by Andrew Bastien and led 6-2 after a driving lay-up by Jalen Hall. Saddleback went on a 7-0 spurt, taking a 9-6 lead after a lay-up by Maurice Jones. Irvine Valley answered with a 9-0 run to lead, 18-12, after a basket by Tanner Aguera. But then Saddleback went on a 14-2 run and led, 26-20, after a basket by Clifford with just under four minutes left in the first half.
Saddleback led by seven points at halftime after Drew Bournes made a 3-pointer off an inbounds pass from Maleke Haynes, who picked up his 6th assist of the first half on the play. That three made it 33-26 and gave the Gauchos their largest lead of the half.
The second half started with a shot clock violation for Irvine Valley, and Saddleback quickly pushed its lead to 13 points after 3-pointers by Collin Host and Baker. There were still more than 18 minutes left in the game at that point, but ten minutes later the Gauchos still held a 13-point lead at 49-36 and seemed to be on their way to a comfortable win.
Irvine Valley cut the deficit to eight points when Chris Porter scored his first basket of the night on a driving lay-up with 6:15 left, and the Lasers had the ball back moments later with a chance to get even closer.
Then things got a little crazy. Haynes stole the ball and dashed towards the basket for a lay-up, only to be fouled by the much larger Bastien with 5:28 left. In the aftermath, Coach Ground made a comment that drew a technical foul. The officials had Haynes go to the free throw line, and he made the first free throw. Then Ground told the official who had assessed him the technical foul - easily the youngest of the three officials, "this'll be your last game here, son" which drew another technical foul and the ejection.
Haynes made the second free throw, but Chris Salas made all four free throws from the technical fouls to close the gap to 51-45. And lead assistant Perry Webster vacated his chair at the end of the bench to walk the sideline in relief of the banished Ground.
Saddleback pushed its lead back to nine points, but Irvine Valley kept battling as the clock wound down. A 3-pointer by Porter made it 54-48 with 3:50 left. Ronnie Harris brought the Lasers within five with two free throws with 2:28 left to make it 57-52. Then Harris stole the ball back and fed Salas for a lay-up to make it 57-54. Baker made two free throws for Saddleback with 1:40 left to push the lead back to five points, but Jalen Hall drained a three with 1:25 left to bring the Lasers within two points.
But Irvine Valley never quite caught up. After a Saddleback turnover with one minute to go, the Lasers got the ball to Bastien in the post. But he was guarded by the 7-foot Clifford, and his would-be game-tying shot with 45 seconds left missed. After Bournes missed a shot for Saddleback, the Lasers got the ball to Bastien again, but his shot with about 5 seconds left also missed. Baker got the rebound, was fouled and made two free throws with 1.2 seconds left to finally clinch the win for the Gauchos.
Clifford led all scorers with his 17 pts, though his greatest contribution might have been his last-minute defense against Bastien. Baker had 13 points and 7 rebounds, and Bournes had 10 points and 7 rebounds. Haynes had 9 points and a team-high 7 assists.
For Irvine Valley, Salas scored a team-high 14 pts despite fouling out with 1:40 left. Bastien had 12 pts and a team-high 7 rebs. Jimmy Golden had 9 pts and Hall had 8. Harris came off the bench for just the two free throws - he did not attempt a field goal - but dished out a team-high 7 asts.
box score
Wednesday, January 14, 2015 - 7 pm
at Saddleback College, Mission Viejo
Orange Empire Conference
Irvine Valley Lasers 57:
3-Jalen Hall, PG - 3/6 fg, 1/2 ft, 1 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 8 pts
4-Jimmy Golden, SG - 3/5 fg, 1/3 ft, 2 reb, 2 ast, 2 pf, 9 pts
10-Chris Salas, SF - 3/6 fg, 7/7 ft, 4 reb, 1 stl, 5 pf, 14 pts
30-Chris Porter, PF - 2/3 fg, 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 3 pf, 5 pts
42-Andrew Bastien, C - 5/12 fg, 2/2 ft, 7 reb, 2 stl, 4 pf, 12 pts
15-Ronnie Harris, G - 2/2 ft, 7 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 1 pf, 2 pts
22-Caleb Short, G - 0/3 fg, 1 stl, 1 pf, 0 pts
24-Craig Magyar, C - 0/3 fg, 3 pf, 0 pts
21-Tanner Aguera, F - 1/2 fg, 2/2 ft, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 4 pts
5-Kody Eckert, G - 1 pf, 0 pts
25-Jacob Dean, C - 1/5 fg, 3 pts
team rebounds: 5
Totals: 18/45 fg (.400), 15/18 ft (.833), 22 reb, 13 ast, 1 blk, 8 stl, 23 pf, 57 pts
3-pt fg (6): Golden 2, Hall, Salas, Porter, Dean
Fouled Out: Salas 1:40 left
Turnover (12): Bastien 3, Hall 2, Porter 2, Harris 2, Eckert 2, team
Saddleback Gauchos 61:
10-Drew Bournes, SG - 2/6 fg, 5/6 ft, 7 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 10 pts
11-Maleke Haynes, PG - 2/6 fg, 5/6 ft, 2 reb, 7 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl, 1 pf, 9 pts
25-Dusty Baker, SF - 3/4 fg, 6/9 ft, 7 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 13 pts
31-Collin Host, PF - 1/2 fg, 2/3 ft, 3 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl, 2 pf, 5 pts
42-Conor Clifford, C - 7/12 fg, 3/4 ft, 2 reb, 1 blk, 1 stl, 4 pf, 17 pts
20-Jay Hall, G - 0/2 fg, 1/2 ft, 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 pt
33-Maurice Jones, F - 1/4 fg, 1 reb, 3 pf, 2 pts
32-Brandon Fagins, F - 1 reb, 1 blk, 1 stl, 1 pf, 0 pts
41-Kyle Hoag, C - 2/2 fg, 2 reb, 4 pts
team rebounds: 4
Totals: 18/38 fg (.474), 22/30 ft (.733), 30 reb, 13 ast, 3 blk, 8 stl, 16 pf, 61 pts
3-pt fg (3): Bournes, Baker, Host
Technical Fouls: Coach Ground 2 (ejected 5:28 left)
Turnovers (13): Baker 4, Haynes 2, Host 2, Hall 2, Jones 2, Clifford
Halftime Score: Saddleback 33, Irvine Valley 26
Updated Records: Saddleback (#1-South, #1-Calif) 20-1, 3-0 in OEC (15th str W); Irvine Valley 8-9, 1-1 in OEC
Irvine Valley went on a 9-0 run to lead 18-12 midway through the 1st half.
Saddleback went on a 14-2 run to lead 26-20 with just under 4 minutes left in the 1st half.
Saddleback led by 13 at 49-36 with just over 8 minutes left in the 2nd half.
Irvine Valley got within 2 with 1:25 left but Bastien missed 2 would-be tying shots in the final minute.
