Gauchos break through at Santa Ana

The Saddleback women's basketball team picked up its first conference win on Wednesday with a 71-68 win at Santa Ana College.  The Gauchos received 20 points and 13 rebounds from Joice Beda in turning back the Dons.

Saddleback has been close a number of times in recent weeks, dropping close games to Orange Coast College and Riverside City College in their quest for the first Orange Empire Conference win of the season.  The Gauchos finally broke through on Wednesday night, showing a deeper bench than Santa Ana and overcoming a large disparity in personal fouls (15-8). 

Beda was a dominating force inside, wearing out the Santa Ana lineup.  She finished with a game-high of 20 points and 13 rebounds, making 9-of-14 shots from the field and collecting 12 defensive rebounds. 

Saddleback also received a solid performance off the bench from Samannah Trinh.  The sophomore made 6-of-9 shots, outscoring the entire Dons bench 13-11.  Trinh was vital down the stretch, scoring five points in the final quarter.  Her biggest dagger was a three-point with 7:33 remaining, giving the Gauchos a 61-53 lead. 

Saddleback is now 4-13 overall and 1-6 in Orange Empire Conference play.  The Gauchos will look to extend the winning streak to two games when they host Cypress College on Friday night.  Tip time is scheduled for 7:00 PM inside the Saddleback Gymnasium.