#2-ranked Riverside (26-3, 9-2) displayed what has to be one of the greatest defensive performances in California JC history Friday night, holding #5 Saddleback (21-7, 8-2) to just 3 points in the first half en route to a 51-28 victory. The win pulls the Tigers even in the loss column with the Gauchos atop the Orange Empire Conference.
Saddleback’s only basket in the entire first half came on an uncontested lay-up by SG Derek Richie with 5:25 left in the half after a steal at midcourt by PG Lamont Morgan. SF Gerard Anderson scored the Gauchos’ other point, a free throw 6:03 into the game. Saddleback made just 1 of 20 shots from the floor and 1 of 6 free throws in the half. Riverside, whose relentless defense hounded the Gauchos all over the floor, got 4 blocked shots from Ctr Jerrell Smith and outrebounded Saddleback, 32-14, in the half.
The only reason the game remained relatively close was that Saddleback also played some tough defense, holding Riverside to 29% shooting for the night. But after the first half, the outcome of the game was never in doubt.
The only points of the first 6 minutes of the game came on a putback jam by PF Rodney Yearby of Riverside. Anderson’s free throw made it 2-1, but then Riverside scored the next 8 points to take a 10-1 lead. After Richie’s basket made it 10-3, Riverside scored the final 16 points of the half to push the lead to 23 at halftime, holding an astounding 26-3 lead.
It was a very physical game, with few fouls called against either team, particularly for the first 10 minutes. Frustration boiled to the surface when Anderson, who was clearly fouled attempting a shot on the offensive end, protested as he ran downcourt and was assessed a technical foul. SF Emmanuel Jones made both free throws to make it 12-3 and start the half-ending 16-0 run. A play that typified things for Saddleback happened in the final few seconds of the half when SF Joe Malone appeared on his way to an open-court lay-up only to have the ball stolen away by Riverside SG Anthony Scott before he could get the shot away.
And there was an odd moment in the second half when Jones went to the line for Riverside with just under 9 minutes left. He missed his free throw attempt – both attempts, actually – and Saddleback Ctr Tremaine Ford-Townsend grabbed the rebound. And then Ford-Townsend laid the ball into the basket…the wrong basket! It was one of the few times all night that there wasn’t a swarm of Riverside defenders there to contest his shot.
Saddleback somehow managed to trim the lead to 16 points with just under 8 minutes left, but then frustration boiled over for the coaching staff. After a play on which PF Brandon James was called for traveling just prior to being knocked down by two Riverside defenders, Co-Head Coach Andy Ground was called for not one but two technical fouls, ending his evening with 6:03 remaining. Jones then went to the line for Saddleback and made all 4 free throws to push the lead back to 22 points and allow the Tigers to start clearing the bench and get the reserves into the game.
The win gives Riverside a 9-2 mark in OEC play and avenges a narrow loss to Saddleback in Mission Viejo last month. Saddleback has an 8-2 record on conference play. So it is now highly likely that the teams will tie for the OEC crown. It must be a relief to Saddleback that this loss, no matter how remarkable, is still just one loss (and worth the same amount in the standings as the Gauchos’ 44-43 win in January).
For Riverside, Jones led the way with 19 pts and 13 rebs. Smith was a force inside with 12 pts, 11 rebs and 6 blocked shots. Yearby added 8 pts and 8 rebs.
For Saddleback, Ford-Townsend was the only scorer anywhere near double figures, scoring 12 points (for his team), all in the second half. Anderson had just 4 pts, all on free throws, but grabbed 10 rebs and dished out 4 asts, both team-highs. The Gauchos ended up shooting 20.5% from the floor – not very high, but considerably better in the second half (8-24, 33%) than in the first half (1-20, 5%).
Box score
Riverside 51, Saddleback 28
Friday, February 9, 2007 – 7:30 pm
at Wheelock Gym, Riverside
Orange Empire Conference
Saddleback Gauchos 28:
11-Lamont Morgan, PG – 2/7 fg, 1 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl, 1 pf, 4 pts
13-Derek Richie, SG – 1/4 fg, 0/1 ft, 4 reb, 2 stl, 1 pf, 2 pts
33-Gerard Anderson, SF – 0/5 fg, 4/10 ft, 10 reb, 4 ast, 2 blk, 1 stl, 3 pf, 4 pts
34-Brandon James, PF – 0/5 fg, 3 reb, 4 pf, 0 pts
42-Tremaine Ford-Townsend, C – 5/13 fg, 2/2 ft, 5 reb, 1 blk, 2 pf, 12 pts
41-John Wise, F – 0/4 fg, 2/2 ft, 2 pts
15-DeAndre Myles, G – 0/1 fg, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 4 stl, 1 pf, 0 pts
21-Joe Malone, F – 1 reb, 1 pf, 0 pts
12-Bryan Byrd, G – 0/3 fg, 1/2 ft, 1 blk, 1 stl, 2 pf, 1 pt
20-LeAndre Richardson, F – 1/2 fg, 1/4 ft, 3 reb, 1 stl, 2 pf, 3 pts
team rebounds: 2
Totals: 9/44 fg (.205), 10/21 ft (.476), 31 reb, 8 ast, 5 blk, 12 stl, 17 pf, 28 pts
3-pt fg (0): None
Technical Foul: Anderson, Coach Ground 2 (ejection)
Turnovers (19): Morgan 5, Anderson 3, Myles 3, Malone 2, Richardson 2, Richie, James, Wise, Byrd
Riverside Tigers 51:
1-Mookie Pierre, SG – 0/7 fg, 5 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 4 pf, 0 pts
10-Emmanuel Jones, SF – 6/16 fg, 8/10 ft, 13 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 1 pf, 21 pts
11-Giovanni Viruete, PG – 1/4 fg, 1/2 ft, 3 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 3 pts
21-Rodney Yearby, PF – 4/12 fg, 8 reb, 2 stl, 3 pf, 8 pts
33-Jerrell Smith, C – 5/9 fg, 2/3 ft, 11 reb, 2 ast, 6 blk, 1 stl, 3 pf, 12 pts
12-Frankie McWhirt, F – 0/1 fg, 2/2 ft, 1 reb, 1 stl, 2 pts
20-Anthony Dandy, G – 0/4 fg, 1 reb, 0 pts
51-Andrew Jenkins, C – 0/2 fg, 5 reb, 1 pf, 0 pts
40-Chris Purdom, G – 0/1 fg, 1 ast, 1 pf, 0 pts
3-James Simmons, G – 1 stl, 2 pf, 0 pts
32-Anthony Scott, G – 1/3 fg, 2 reb, 2 stl, 1 pf, 2 pts
55-Stephen Colvin, C – 1 pf, 0 pts
42-Matt Ibewiro, C – 1/2 ft, 1 reb, 2 pf, 1 pt
14-Keiran Nunley, F – 1/1 fg, 2 reb, 2 pts
22-Joshua Henderson, G – 0/1 fg, 0/1 ft, 1 pf, 0 pts
45-Mike Jones, F – 0/1 fg, 1 reb, 0 pts
team rebounds: 4
Totals: 18/62 fg (.290), 14/20 ft (.700), 57 reb, 8 ast, 7 blk, 9 stl, 21 pf, 51 pts
3-pt fg (1): E.Jones
Turnovers (23): E.Jones 4, Yearby 3, Smith 3, Simmons 3, Pierre 2, Viruete 2, Scott 2, Dandy, Jenkins, Purdom, Colvin
Halftime Score: Riverside 26, Saddleback 3
Updated Records: Riverside (#2-South, #3-Calif) 26-3, 9-2 in OEC; Saddleback (t-#5-South, t-#10-Calif) 21-7, 8-2 in OEC
