Cats pull off another high-wire act

The Saddleback women's basketball team won its eighth straight game with a 61-58 victory in overtime over Cypress College on Wednesday night inside the gymnasium.  The Bobcats still have a 1.5-game lead in the Orange Empire Conference with seven games remaining.

Wednesday's game was arguably the top game in the state as both teams entered ranked in the top 15 in the state in the latest California Community College Women's Basketball Coaches Association (CCCWBCA) Rankings.  The game lived up to the hype as it needed an extra five minutes of overtime to decide a winner. 

The teams traded quarters in the opening half as Saddleback came out hot and grabbed a 16-13 advantage in the opening quarter before Cypress rallied to take a lead heading into the locker rooms.

Saddleback used a balanced attack in the opening quarter as six different players scored in the frame.  Both teams were a bit sloppy with the ball, with each defense coming out and playing hard while forcing nine turnovers apiece.  Cypress jumped out to a 9-4 lead before Saddleback caught fire.  The Bobcats would outscore the Chargers 12-4 the rest of the way as Cypress had seven turnovers in the final 6.5 minutes of the quarter. 

The game settled into the rhythm in the second quarter as both teams minimized the ball-handling mistakes.  Cypress again started the quarter hot, outscoring Saddleback 10-3 to start.  The Bobcats had no answer for Kaylene Vivo, who had seven points in the first 3.5 minutes of the quarter as Cypress built up a 23-16 lead.  The Bobcats went ice cold from the outside during the streak on way to a 1-for-7 quarter from beyond the arc.  Saddleback finally found its shot from the outside when Mariana Mina buried a three-pointer to get the Cats within three at 25-22 with 5:09 remaining in the half.  The two squads would trade baskets the rest of the way as Cypress led 32-28 at the intermission.

The third quarter belonged to Saddleback as the Bobcat defense clamped down on the Cypress offense.  Saddleback held the Chargers to two points over the first 4.5 minutes while grabbing back the lead.  Nina Saiki broke a tie when she buried a three-pointer with 8:45 left in the quarter for a 35-32 advantage.  Makayla Rutledge followed with a three-pointer at the 5:56 mark as the Bobcat lead expanded to four points.  The two teams would trade baskets the rest of the way as Saddleback carried a 46-43 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The fourth quarter started similarly to the first half as Cypress made a run.  The Chargers scored six straight points to start the quarter in grabbing back the lead.  Christaesha Jackson made a pair of baskets to give Cypress the lead.  Later she made another jumper as the Charger lead grew to 53-48 with just 5:39 remaining in regulation.  That's when the Saddleback defense finally put an end to the run.  The Bobcats would hold Cypress scoreless for the final 5:39 of the quarter as the Chargers couldn't find the bottom of the net.  Cypress went 0-for-7 from the field while committing four turnovers as Saddleback stormed back to tie the game.  The Bobcats evened the score when Saiki hit a three-pointer with 1:47 remaining to tie the game at 53-53.  Neither team would score from that point forward, sending the game to overtime.

Saddleback never trailed in overtime, taking a lead when Kassidy Beach nailed a jumper to take back the lead for the first time in nearly nine minutes.  Cypress would never again see the lead as Saddleback held on to it for the rest of the contest.  Beach made a layup with 16 seconds remaining to give Saddleback a 61-58 advantage.  The Chargers would get one more opportunity but couldn't find the bottom of the net on two chances in the final seconds.

Beach (pictured) finished with a game-high 21 points and 11 rebounds in the contest.  Saiki chipped in with 16 points, making 3-of-5 shots from beyond the arc. 

Saddleback is now 17-4 overall and 5-0 in Orange Empire Conference play.  The Bobcats have the rest of the week off before facing two-time, defending state champion Orange Coast College.  Saddleback and Orange Coast are scheduled to tip off at 7:00 PM next Wednesday in Costa Mesa.

NOTES:  Saddleback is now 13 games above .500 for the first time since 2016-17 when the team started 19-5.