Cleaves' Free Throw Gives Riverside a 69-68 Home Win Over Irvine Valley Wednesday

RIVERSIDE -- Andy Cleaves free throw with 4.0 seconds left lifted the Riverside City College (RCC) Tigers men's basketball team to a 69-68 Orange Empire Conference (OEC) home win over the visiting Irvine Valley College Lasers Wednesday night at historic Arthur N. Wheelock Gymnasium.

A freshman guard from Riverside's John W. North HS, Cleaves made the first of a two-shot situation and his second attempt missed and was rebounded by Irvine Valley. A subsequent half-court shot at the buzzer missed. Cleaves, who came off the bench, played 24 minutes and finished with ten points.

Riverside (12-16, 4-8 OEC) was paced by sophomore guard Kevin Pritchett (Los Angeles / Fremont HS '08), who had a team-high 14 points. Sophomore forward Sage Woodruff (Los Angeles / Fairfax HS '14) added 13 points and eight rebounds.

RCC sophomore guards Antonio Mayfield (Milwaukee, WI / Richland HS '12) and Jordan Bryant (Los Angeles / Dorsey HS '13) each had 12 points for the Tigers. Bryant added a game-high 13 rebounds.

The night also featured the pre-game honoring of RCC's sophomores: Bryant, Mayfield, Pritchett and Woodruff.

For Irvine Valley (14-13 overall, 2-9 OEC), frosh guard Chris Lott (M.L. King HS) had a game-high 22 points for the Lasers. Frosh forward Zach Harvey (Foothill HS) came off the bench and pulled down a team-high ten rebounds. 

The game was the regular season finale for RCC as it has a bye on Friday, Feb. 19. Irvine Valley will play at Santa Ana on Friday.

The annual OEC coaches meeting which will feature the selection of the All-OEC teams will take place on Saturday, Feb. 20, at Santa Ana College. On Sunday, Feb. 21, the annual seeding meeting for the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) South Regional Playoffs will take place.

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