Saddleback men’s basketball rocks a winning streak

Bobcats Forward #2 Malachi Hiers pulling up for a jumper | Ben Kokkelenberg

The Saddleback men’s basketball team extended its winning streak to four games, taking down previously undefeated Mt. San Jacinto College, 86–71, on the road in San Jacinto. The Bobcats closed the game with authority, handing the Eagles their first loss of the season.

Coming in with three straight wins and facing an unbeaten opponent, the matchup looked strong on paper – but it played out even better for Saddleback. A dominant finish allowed the Bobcats to pull away late and secure the victory.

Saddleback opened the game well, jumping out to a 12–5 lead in the first 4:25, sparked by a fast start from Charlie Stallings, who scored six early points. A layup from Christopher Williams helped push the advantage to 16–7.

However, the offense stalled, and Mt. San Jacinto swung the momentum, surging ahead 31–23 as Saddleback went just 1-for-12 from the floor with several turnovers over a six-minute span. The Bobcats eventually regrouped and went into halftime trailing only 35–33.

The Eagles opened the second half with a three-pointer to go up by five, and from there the teams traded lead-changes for much of the half. 

Mt. San Jacinto held a 66–65 lead with 4:18 left when Saddleback finally broke the game open. Michael Bichel drilled a three while drawing a foul with 3:34 remaining, giving the Bobcats the lead for good. Saddleback then closed on a dominant 21–5 run, sinking 11 straight free throws as Mt. San Jacinto was forced to foul.

The Bobcats went 24-of-29 at the line and shot 47% overall, catching fire in the second half with a 16-of-28 shooting performance.

Williams led the way with 23 points and four assists. Stallings added 20 points, and Bichel contributed 15.

“It was a great game and I’m looking forward to keeping this momentum up.” said Williams coming off his hot-performance.

“Fun game. Great energy from the guys tonight.” was expressed by Bichel in the post-game interview

Saddleback now sits at 4–2 after its fourth consecutive win. This is their longest streak since the 2022–23 season, when they won six straight.

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