No. 10 Santiago Canyon College Overcomes Saddleback in 82-74 Victory

It wasn't an easy night for the No. 10 Santiago Canyon College men's basketball team, as they faced off against a feisty Saddleback College squad on Friday. The Hawks grabbed an early lead but saw it slip away midway through the second half. Despite the Bobcats' offensive surge, Santiago Canyon regrouped and finished strong, sealing an 82-74 win.

The Hawks quickly took control, building a 16-point lead just 10 minutes into the game. However, Saddleback responded with an 11-3 run to close the first half, cutting the Hawks' lead to just nine points at the break.

Saddleback continued to fight back in the second half, eventually taking the lead with just over 10 minutes remaining. But freshman sharpshooter Efe Gucoglu answered with a clutch three-pointer on the next possession, followed by freshman EJ Bryson knocking down two free throws to put the Hawks back in front. That sequence sparked an 8-3 run, capped off by another free throw from Bryson, and the Hawks never looked back.

Gucoglu led the Hawks' offense with 18 points, going 4-for-8 from beyond the arc. He came just two points shy of matching his season-high, which he set just two days earlier in a win over Cypress.

Freshman Colin Weems was also crucial to the win, finishing with 15 points and four assists. He hit several key three-pointers, both early in the first half and late in the second. Sophomore Tony Colley added 13 points, while Bryson chipped in with 10.

Freshman Connor McKee was dominant on the boards, finishing with a game-high 13 rebounds and adding two steals. He was just one bucket shy of a double-double.

As a team, the Hawks shot 47.1 percent from the field and 31.4 percent from three-point range. They turned the ball over only eight times while forcing Saddleback into 13 turnovers, which they converted into 16 points.