#4 Chaffey took control of the game with a 12-0 first-half run and held a lead of at least 8 points the entire second half to capture a 73-60 win over #1-seed Saddleback and earn a trip to the state tournament for the first time under head coach Jeff Klein and his longtime assistant Jon Keller Saturday night in Mission Viejo.
In what was widely expected to be a most competitive battle, Chaffey (26-6) dictated the pace and controlled the game for most of the night. The Panther defense forced 22 turnovers by Saddleback (27-5), which had won 17 straight games entering Saturday night, mostly by controlling the tempo and taking care of the basketball.
But Saturday Chaffey took the lead midway through the first half and never let Saddleback seriously threaten to rally in the second half. And aside from a tremendous game from PF Josh Smith, none of the Gaucho starters was a factor, or at least not a positive factor for Saddleback.
Early on, Chaffey jumped out to a 13-6 lead after a 3-pointer by SG Kenny Morgan just over 8 minutes into the game. Saddleback rallied, however, putting together a 9-0 run, tying the game on a free throw by Smith with 9:22 left in the first half and taking a 15-13 lead on a reverse lay-up by Smith moments later.
But Chaffey responded by going on a 12-0 run to re-take the lead and take control of the game. SF Justin Cole tied the game with a driving lay-up with 8:10 left in the half. SG Justin Cole converted a 3-point play with 6:48 left and PF D'on Hall sank a 3-point field goal with 5:33 left to give Chaffey a 21-15 lead. A steal & dunk by PF Ryan Nitz after an outlet pass from Ctr Anthony Fitzpatrick made it 23-15. Ctr Adom Jacko scored on a putback with 3:26 left in the half to complete the run and give Chaffey a 25-15 lead.
Saddleback stopped the run with a reverse lay-up jam from Smith, and got within six points on a lay-up by PG De'Corrius Sampson-Young after a blocked shot by Smith. But Morgan scored on a driving lay-up for Chaffey just before halftime to push the Panther lead back to 8 points at 27-19 at the break.
And Chaffey led by at least that margin the entire second half, and by double digits most of the second half. The margin would bulge to as many as 16 points with Saddleback cutting the deficit back to eight points only in the final minute, by which time the outcome of the game was no longer in serious doubt.
Chaffey pushed its lead to double digits when Niang made a turnaround jumper from the free throw line to make it 33-22. SF Todd Lewis scored on a putback moments later to make it 35-22, at which point Saddleback was 1-for-8 from the floor with 6 turnovers in the second half. Nitz pushed the lead to 14 points at 42-28 after scoring off an inbounds play. Morgan then stole the ball near midcourt and went in for the lay-up to make it 44-28 with just over 11 minutes left.
Saddleback, which advanced to the state championship game after beating Chaffey in the regional final on this floor in 2009, tried to mount one final comeback. A 3-pointer by SG A.J. Brevard cut the margin to single digits at 55-46 with 4:50 left. But Niang answered with a 3-point play for Chaffey just 19 seconds later, and the Panthers maintained a double-digit lead after that until the game's final minute.
Brevard hit another three to bring Saddleback within 8 points at 66-58 with 56.1 seconds to go. But SG Carl Robinson made one of two free throws with 52.3 seconds left to make it 67-58. And Morgan grabbed a long rebound and ran out for a lay-up with about 30 seconds left to make it 69-58 and end any lingering doubt as to the game's result. SG Justin Long and Cole each added a pair of free throws in the final 18.8 seconds to close out the scoring.
For Chaffey, Morgan finished with 16 pts and added 4 rebs and 2 steals. Niang had 13 pts and a team-high 5 asts, and Cole had 12 pts, 3 rebs and 3 blocked shots. Chaffey accumulated a total of 16 steals while forcing 22 Saddleback turnovers, while the Panthers had just 8 turnovers, and only 2 in the first half.
For Saddleback, Smith had a marvelous game with 26 pts on 11-for-15 from the floor and 16 rebs, both easily game-highs. He added 2 asts, 2 blocks and 2 steals. But the other four Gaucho starters totaled just 5 points on 2-for-22 from the floor. SG McKay LaSalle, whose 6 three-pointers helped Saddleback beat OEC rival Riverside just 17 days ago, had a particularly miserable night, finishing 0-for-9 from the floor. Brevard was the only other bright spot for Saddleback, coming off the bench for 16 pts, including 4 threes, plus 5 rebs and 5 asts.
The win puts Chaffey into the state semifinals this Friday at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento. The Panthers will face #1-ranked and undefeated City College of San Francisco, led by 2-time JCHoops.com Northern California Player of the Year Delon Wright, in the semifinals.
Box Score
Saturday, March 9, 2013 - 7 pm
at Saddleback College, Mission Viejo
Regional Final
Chaffey Panthers 73:
2-Sango Niang, PG - 3/7 fg, 6/9 ft, 1 reb, 5 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 2 pf, 13 pts
4-Kenny Morgan, SG - 7/14 fg, 1/3 ft, 4 reb, 2 stl, 1 pf, 16 pts
5-Justin Cole, SF - 3/8 fg, 5/6 ft, 3 reb, 3 blk, 1 stl, 1 pf, 12 pts
10-Ryan Nitz, PF - 2/6 fg, 2/2 ft, 2 reb, 3 ast, 4 stl, 1 pf, 6 pts
14-Adom Jacko, C - 2/6 fg, 5 reb, 4 pf, 4 pts
42-Automane Seck, C - 0/2 fg, 2 pf, 0 pts
1-Justin Long, G - 1/6 fg, 4/5 ft, 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 6 pts
21-Todd Lewis, F - 2/5 fg, 4 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 4 pts
32-D'on Hall, F - 2/3 fg, 3 reb, 5 pts
44-Anthony Fitzpatrick, C - 3/3 fg, 0/1 ft, 6 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 3 stl, 1 pf, 6 pts
24-Carl Robinson, G - 1/2 ft, 2 stl, 2 pf, 1 pt
team rebounds: 2
Totals: 25/60 fg (.417), 19/28 ft (.679), 31 reb, 12 ast, 5 blk, 16 stl, 14 pf, 73 pts
3-pt fg (4): Niang, Morgan, Cole, Hall
Turnovers (8): Niang 2, Morgan 2, Nitz, Seck, Lewis, Hall
Saddleback Gauchos 60:
20-Alexis Moore, PG - 1 reb, 0 pts
23-Darnell Taylor, SF - 1/8 fg, 0/2 ft, 5 reb, 4 ast, 2 pf, 3 pts
25-Josh Smith, PF - 11/15 fg, 4/5 ft, 16 reb, 2 ast, 2 blk, 2 stl, 2 pf, 26 ptd
31-McKay LaSalle, SG - 0/9 fg, 2 reb, 1 ast, 2 pf, 0 pts
34-Carlton Hayes, C - 1/5 fg, 4 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 1 pf, 2 pts
11-Miles Green, G - 0/1 fg, 1/2 ft, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 5 pf, 1 pt
24-A.J. Brevard, G - 6/12 fg, 5 reb, 5 ast, 3 pf, 16 pts
41-Casey Oldemoppen, C - 0/1 fg, 1 reb, 2 ast, 0 pts
10-De'Corrius Sampson-Young, G - 3/6 fg, 4 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 5 pf, 7 pts
35-Omar Richards, F - 2/4 fg, 1/1 ft, 3 reb, 1 stl, 1 pf, 5 pts
team rebounds: 3
Totals: 24/61 fg (.393), 6/10 ft (.600), 46 reb, 18 ast, 4 blk, 5 stl, 21 pf, 60 pts
3-pt fg (6): Brevard 4, Taylor, Sampson-Young
Fouled Out: Green 1:06 left, Sampson-Young 18.8 seconds left
Turnovers (22): Smith 4, Brevard 4, Moore 3, Sampson-Young 3, Taylor 2, Hayes 2, Green 2, LaSalle, Richards
Halftime Score: Chaffey 27, Saddleback 19
Updated Records: Chaffey (#4-seed) 26-6, Saddleback (#1-seed) 27-5
Saddleback went on a 9-0 run to lead 15-13. Chaffey answered with a 12-0 run to lead 25-15.
Chaffey led by as many as 16 points and by at least 8 points the entire 2nd half.
