Riverside Falls, 82-68, to First-place Saddleback Wednesday

RIVERSIDE – Unable to get a lead at any time, the host Riverside City College (RCC) Tigers men's basketball team dropped an 82-68 Orange Empire Conference (OEC) game to the Saddleback College Gauchos Wednesday evening (Feb. 8) at legendary Arthur N. Wheelock Gymnasium.

Riverside City (19-7, 6-3 OEC), ranked No. 14 in the state by the California Community College Men's Basketball Coaches Association (CCCMBCA) poll, fell behind, 4-0, 9-2, and 24-12 with 7:21 left in the first half. Saddleback (22-3, 8-1 OEC), ranked No. 2 in the state, pulled into a tie for first place in the OEC as Fullerton was idle. The Gauchos had their biggest lead at 82-62 with 1:31 left in the game.

RCC had four players (four starters) score in double figures, led by freshman guard Andre Wilson (Eastvale / Jurupa Valley – Patriot HS '16) with 19 points. Freshman guard Brae Ivey (Huntington Beach - Edison HS '15) chipped in with 13 points.

Freshman forward William "Frankie" McQuay (Moreno Valley – Canyon Springs HS) added 11 points. Freshman guard Brandon Thomas (Woodland Hills – Taft '16) added ten points.

RCC sophomore guard Andy Cleaves II (Riverside - John W. North HS '14) -- the fifth RCC starter -- added nine points and a team-high nine rebounds.

For the Gauchos, stellar sophomore starting guard T.J. Shorts poured in a co-game-high 19 points and added nine assists. Guard Reggie Varner added 18 points on six of six shooting, including four three-pointers.

Riverside continues OEC action on Friday, Febuary 10, at 5 p.m. when it visits the Fullerton College Hornets. 

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