Dons End 2012-13 Season with 86-58 Loss to Saddleback College

Erik Emanuel goes in for a layup in the Dons regular season finale against Saddleback College. Photo courtesy of Tony McAndrew.
Erik Emanuel goes in for a layup in the Dons regular season finale against Saddleback College. Photo courtesy of Tony McAndrew.

SANTA ANA - The Dons closed out the 2012-13 season with an 86-58 loss to first place Saddleback College, all but ending their hopes at qualifying for the playoffs. The Dons finish the season with a 15-11 overall record and a 5-7 mark in the Orange Empire Conference. The Gauchos, who had already clinched the conference championship, finish with an undefeated mark in the OEC and a 25-4 overall record.

The first early lead of the game belonged to Saddleback who grabbed an 11-4 lead with a 7-0 run, capped off by five-straight points by Miles Green who hit a three followed by a fast-break layup.

The Dons battled back late in the half after Saddleback continued to lead by as many as eight points at 19-11 with just under 10 minutes left in the half. After that lead, the Dons used a 9-0 run to take a 20-19 lead but the lead wouldn't last long as Gauchos reclaimed the lead for good on a three-point play by Darnell Taylor.

Saddleback would then go on to take a five-point lead at the half at 35-30 before doubling that lead in the first minute of the second half at 40-30. The Gauchos continued to control the game as the Dons were only able to pull as close as nine points, with the latest time at the 10:41 mark. Saddleback would build a lead as large as 28 points at the final score of 86-58.

The Dons got a pair of 10-point performances from Erik Emanuel and Terryn Large but didn't have any other scorers in double digits. Saddleback was led by Taylor with 21 points followed by Carlton Hayes with 12, McKay LaSalle and Green with 11 and Alex Worthen-Hayes with 10 points.