Saddleback & Chaffey to Meet for Tourney Title; Riverside Faces Fullerton Friday for Third Place

44^th Annual Riverside Holiday Basketball Tournament, Dec. 8-11, 2015

Thursday, Dec. 10 (all games at Wheelock Gym):

Game 13, 1 p.m. (fifth-place semifinal #1): San Bernardino Valley 87, Citrus (6-6) 76;

Game 14, 3 p.m. (fifth-place semifinal #2): Mt. San Jacinto 74, Pasadena City (3-6) 43;

Game 11, 5 p.m. (champ. semifinal #1): Saddleback (9-1) 65, Fullerton (10-3) 60;

Game 12, 7 p.m. (champ. semifinal #2): Chaffey (10-3) 72, Riverside (7-5) 57

Friday, Dec. 11 (all games at Wheelock Gym):

Game 15, 1 p.m. (consol. champ./ninth place): Cerritos (6-3) vs. L.A. Pierce (5-8);

Game 18, 3 p.m. (fifth place): San Bernardino Valley (12-2) vs. Mt. San Jacinto (10-2);

Game 16, 5 p.m. (third place): Fullerton (10-3) vs. Riverside (7-5);

Game 17, 7 p.m. (championship): Saddleback (9-1) vs. Chaffey (10-3)

***

RIVERSIDE -- With Thursday's four games decided, Friday's final day of action has been set for the 44th Annual Riverside Holiday Tournament. In one fifth-place semifinal, the San Bernardino College (SBVC) Wolverines outlasted the Citrus College Owls, 87-76, before the Mt. San Jacinto College (MSJC) Eagles outshot the Pasadena City College (PCC) Lancers, 74-43, in the other fifth-place semifinal. In one championship semifinal game, the Saddleback College Gauchos punched a ticket to the championship game with a 65-60 win over the Fullerton College Hornets. In the other championship semifinal game, the Chaffey College Panthers rained three-pointers all over the host Riverside City College Tigers to win, 72-57, and earn the right to face Saddleback in Friday's final.

Thursday's first game saw SBVC nurse a 33-31 halftime lead into a 75-62 advantage and keep the Owls at bay. Fiver Wolverines scored in double figures, led by Robert Lewis with 20. Jacardo Hawkins added 16 points and pulled down 14 rebounds for SBVC. Four Owls scored in double digits, led by Ryan Wiley, Kenneth Cyprian and Mark Williams, who each had 15 points.

In the other fifth-place semifinal game, MSJC led, 29-28, at halftime and then outscored the Lancers, 45-15, in the final stanza. Tre Nottingham drilled in a game-high 24 points to pace the Eagles. Todd Barnes led the Lancers with 16 points.

In the first championship semifinal game, Devonte Klines drained back-to-back three-pointers to lift Saddleback into a 44-39 lead with 10:58 to play and the Gauchos prevailed, 65-60, over Fullerton. Klines had a team-high 17 points for Saddleback. Kenny Barnes had a game-high 18 points for the Hornets. In the first half, there were only six, count 'em, six fouls called. Saddleback was whistled four times, Fullerton only twice.

Saddleback head coach Andy Ground will be seeking to win the Gauchos' third Riverside Holiday Tournament title in the last four years and fourth since 2008.

In Thursday's other championship semifinal, the Chaffey College Panthers made five of their first seven three-pointers, seven of 15 in the first half en route to a 37-21 halftime lead. The Panthers added another eight treys in the second half, built a 63-35 lead with 8:53 to play and won going away, 72-57. Alfred Brown was seven of 15 from the floor (seven of 14 from three-point country) and dropped in a game-high 21 points. Chadney Dennis added 20 points on seven FGs (five treys) for Chaffey. Marqus Porter came off the bench to lead the Tigers with 14 points.

***

For the first time in its 44-year existence, the Riverside Holiday Tournament features 12 community college teams, instead of the usual 16-team format which had been utilized since 1982 (except for 2010 and 2011 when no tournament was held due to the reconstruction of Wheelock Gymnasium).

From 1969 through 1981, except for 1976 (no tournament) and 1977 (four-team tournament), the tournament had an eight-team format.

Riverside has won its tournament ten times (1974, '77, '81, '85, '91, '92, '94, '95, 2006, '09), followed by (now defunct) Los Angeles City, which won it seven times (1982, '96, 1999-2000-2001, 2003-2004). The Tigers have been tournament runners-up 13 times.

Defending state- and Riverside Holiday Tournament champion Saddleback has won it four times (1986, 2008, 2012, 2014). Fullerton has won the Riverside Holiday Tournament twice (1993 and 2005) and was runner-up in 2008. Chaffey won the tournament in 2013.

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