Cats turn the tables in home-opener

The Saddleback men's basketball team won its home-opener on Friday night inside the gymnasium.  The Bobcats had a big second half in beating MiraCosta College, 87-66.

Saddleback had about as bad of a start as one could imagine.  The Bobcats didn't score for the first six minutes of the game in falling behind 11-0.  They were 0-for-7 from the field, 0-for-2 from the free throw line and had three turnovers and a pair of fouls.  In short, it was a painful start that could have derailed a team without solid leadership.

Saddleback, however, never seemed to let it bother them.  The Bobcats kept playing hard and showed no signs of quitting.  Saddleback eventually found a rhythm on offense and blew past MiraCosta for the first win of the season.

Saddleback scored seven straight points while holding the Spartans scoreless over the next three minutes.  Charlie Stallings made a three-pointer from the wing, forcing MiraCosta to call a timeout with their lead cut to 11-7.

Stallings made another three-pointer with 9:42 remaining in the half to cut the deficit to 16-13, which seemed to energize the team from long range after a terrible start from beyond the arc.  Later, Mark Reichner buried a three-pointer with 7:12 left in the half and Saddleback had its first lead of the game at 18-17.  The teams traded baskets the rest of the half and Saddleback carried a 36-35 lead into the locker room at the break.

The second half was all Saddleback.  The Bobcats scored 51 points over the final 20 minutes and had plenty of stars on the court.  Malachi Hiers (pictured) had a monstrous second half, scoring 13 points with a pair of defensive blocks that brought the home crowd to its feet.  The Bobcats were also a perfect 14-for-14 from the free throw line after an opening half where they made just 7-of-15.

Saddleback's defense was solid throughout, forcing MiraCosta into 19 turnovers.  The Spartans committed 12 turnovers in the second half as the Bobcats pressure was relentless.

Christopher Williams led Saddleback on offense, scoring 17 points with five assists and eight rebounds.  Stallings and Reichner both finished with 15 points while Hiers and Michael Bichel both had 13 points apiece.  After a woeful start, Saddleback righted the ship finished shooting 49.2% for the night while making 72.4% of its free throws. 

Saddleback is now 1-2 overall following the win.  The Bobcats will try to make it two wins in a row on Monday when they host San Diego Miramar College.  The Bobcats and Jets are scheduled to start at 5:00 PM inside the gymnasium.