Four Cats make all-conference team

The Saddleback women's basketball team has had a big season and the pairings for the 3C2A Southern California Regional Tournament will be announced on Sunday.  In the meantime, the coaches from the conference convened to create an All-Orange Empire Conference Team.

Saddleback had two players make each team, as Kassidy Beach and Nina Saiki were selected to the first team and Makayla Rutledge and Kalynne Mendez were named to the second team.

Beach led the team in scoring, averaging 15.3 points-per-game in 28 games.  She averaged 15.2 points-per-game in Orange Empire Conference play, which was fourth in the conference.  Beach also led the team with 9.1 rebounds-per-game, which was second in the conference.  She had a season-high 32 points against Fullerton on January 30.

Saiki was second on the team in scoring at 12.2 points-per-game and she scored 13.8 per-game in conference play, which was eighth best in the conference.  Saiki led the Bobcats in both assists (4.1 apg) and free throw shooting (78.7%).  She had a season-high 25 points on two occasions, including a 25-point performance against Santa Ana on February 10 when she went 15-for-16 at the free throw line.

Rutledge was fourth on the team at 11.8 points-per-game.  She led the team in three-point shooting, making good on 33.7% of her shots while going 70-for-208 from beyond the arc.  Rutledge had a season-high six makes from long range on two occasions during the season and a season-high 22 points on the final night of the regular season against Orange Coast.

Mendez was third on the team at 11.9 points-per-game while finishing second in steals (1.5 spg) and third in assists (2.1 apg).  Mendez had a season-high 28 points on two occasions, scoring in double-digits on 11 occasions.