Community College Basketball : Desiano’s Floor Show Sparks Saddleback’s Upset of No. 1 Cerritos

Tom Desiano scored 14 points in the second half to lead No. 2-ranked Saddleback College to an 81-72 nonconference victory over No. 1 Cerritos Saturday night at Cerritos.

Desiano, a sophomore guard from Mission Viejo High School, finished with 18 points as the Gauchos defeated Cerritos for the first time in the school’s history. Cerritos had won the first five meetings.

Desiano’s second-half performance ranged from a hook shot from the middle of the key to a three-point shot from 25 feet as the 45-second clock ran out.

Saddleback started the second half with a 35-32 lead, and for most of the next 13 minutes the Gauchos could not build the lead past five points. But with 5:31 left to play, Desiano made a 10-foot jump shot to put Saddleback ahead, 64-57.

A minute later, Saddleback had its least artistic but most important offensive possession.

The Gauchos set up to take a shot that forward Vincent Smalls missed. Smalls got the rebound but had the ball stolen. Guard Bobby Rhodes stole the ball back and the 45-second shot clock did not reset because Cerritos never gained control of the ball.

With four seconds left on the clock, Rhodes pushed the ball back to Desiano, who made the 25-foot shot off the backboard to give Saddleback a 69-57 lead with 3:10 left.

“I knew the clock was running down, so I just pulled,” Desiano said. “Actually, when I shot it, I thought it was going to be short, but it was straight so I knew it had a chance.”

Saddleback prevented a Cerritos comeback by making 10 consecutive one-and-one free throws in the final two minutes. Saddleback made 19 of 22 free throws in the second half and was 20 of 24 in the game.

Cerritos had opened a 19-9 lead with 12:27 left in the first half when Saddleback Coach Bill Brummel called a timeout. The Gauchos then went on a 9-2 run and were back in the game.

“I just vented my anger a bit,” Brummel said. “I told them they were not playing like a team that wanted to win.”

Smalls scored a game-high 21 points, including six free throws in the final two minutes.

Willie Joseph led the Falcons (15-2) with 18 points. Jim Taylor came off the bench to score 15.

In other men’s nonconference action:

Rancho Santiago 89, MiraCosta 76--Chris Jefferson scored 23 points and Victor Wharton added 18 to lead the Dons (16-3). Chris Jackson and Brent Martin each scored 16 points and led the Dons in rebounding with 7 each. MiraCosta (3-12) was led by guard Jeff Longstreet, who scored 22.

In women’s action:

College of the Sequoias 61, Orange Coast 59--Despite Lisa Schumaker’s 28 points, the Pirates lost to the Giants (17-0) at Saddleback College as the second part of a doubleheader. OCC is 10-10.

Karen Rindone scored 15 points for OCC and made 13 of 17 free throws.

Stacy Brown scored 19 for College of the Sequoias.

Saddleback 68, Antelope Valley 65--Julia Monahan scored 20 points to lead the Gauchos (9-6) to the nonconference victory at home in the first game of a doubleheader.

Debbie Hartwig scored 17, Dina Graham 15 and Stacy Schmitt 10 for Saddleback.