Bobcats advance past Moorpark

The Saddleback men's basketball team defeated Moorpark College, 81-68, in the opening round of the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Southern California Regional Playoffs on Wednesday night inside the gymnasium.  The Bobcats will travel to San Bernardino Valley College on Saturday for the regional semifinals.

Saddleback trailed early but then took a lead with 14:01 remaining in the opening half when James Burries nailed a 3-pointer for an 11-10 advantage.  The Bobcats would never trail again and took a 35-30 lead into the locker room at the intermission.

Moorpark opened the second half on a run and tied the game at 40-40 on a layup from Justin Stanziano with 15:28 remaining.  The Bobcats then kicked the offense into gear, scoring 41 points over the final 15.5 minutes to cruise across the finish line.  Saddleback's lead swelled to 17 points at one point in the final minutes of the game.

Burries had a big second half, scoring 14 points in the final frame on 5-of-8 shooting.  He would tie Gerald Jones III with a team-high 17 points for the night.  Moorpark had no answer for Jones inside as the 6-foot-11 sophomore finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds. 

Saddleback improved to 19-10 on the season with the win.  The Bobcats will travel to San Bernardino Valley College on Saturday night for the regional semifinals.  The game is scheduled to tip off at 7:00 PM.

Saddleback and San Bernardino Valley played one time this season, with the Bobcats defeating the Wolverines 90-84 in overtime in the third place game of the Alvin Hunter Classic.