Cats win buzzer-beater in overtime

The Saddleback men's basketball won a fourth straight game with a 71-68 victory over San Diego City College in overtime at the Fullerton College Tournament.  It was the second straight overtime win against a top tier opponent. 

Saddleback showed no signs of fatigue after going overtime for a win on Friday against a very good West Los Angeles program.  The Bobcats clamped down on defense against San Diego City on Saturday, a team ranked No. 9 in the latest RPI and No. 11 in the latest CCCMBCA Poll.

Saddleback fell behind early when San Diego City jumped out to a 14-6 lead in the first five minutes of the game.  The Bobcats then dug in defensively, holding the Knights to just 11 points over the final 15 minutes of the half. 

Saddleback had only eight points over the first seven minutes when the offense started to play.  Michael Bichel started the comeback when he drained a three-pointer to get Saddleback within four at 15-11.  The Bobcats would eventually outscore San Diego City 16-6 over the final eight minutes of the half.

Christopher Williams put Saddleback ahead for the first time at the 6:12 mark with a pair of free throws and the baskets started to flow.  Later, Charlie Stallings drained a shot from beyond the arc and the Bobcats had a 26-21 lead.  Jaden Rahmaan got into the act at the 2:49 mark with a three-pointer and the lead grew to 31-22, which was the largest lead of the half.

Saddleback maintained the lead for most of the second half as Stallings remained hot.  The sophomore from Fallbrook scored 14 points in the second half as San Diego City had no answers for him in the defensive end.  Stallings's free throw with 8:51 remaining in the second half gave Saddleback its largest lead of the game at 50-39 when the Knights finally found some offense.

San Diego City chipped away at the lead as the Saddleback offense went quiet.  The Bobcats scored just two points over a 5.5-minute stretch, allowing San Diego City to surge ahead with a 16-2 run. 

Saddleback then settled down and went back to Stallings, who got to the free throw line a number of times down the stretch.  The Bobcats took a two-point lead in the final 10 seconds before San Diego City responded with a layup of their own with one second remaining to tie the game and sent it to overtime. 

The two teams traded baskets in overtime and were dead even at 68-68 with the clock running down.  Saddleback had the final possession and opted to run down the clock for one final shot.  The Bobcats found Williams open beyond the arc on the right wing, and he drained the shot as the clock expired for a 71-68 victory. 

Stallings finished with a game-high 30 points, making 14-of-19 free throws while collecting seven rebounds and seven steals.  The Saddleback defense was vicious throughout, forcing the Knights into 19 turnovers.  After a slow start at the free throw line the Bobcats finished a respectable 24-of-35 at the charity stripe. 

Saddleback is now 8-4 overall following the two wins at the Fullerton Tournament.  The Bobcats have now won four straight games and eight of their last 10.

Saddleback will play again on Monday when they travel to Los Angeles Trade Tech College.  The Bobcats and Beavers are scheduled to start at 5:00 PM in Los Angeles.