SANTA ANA – For the second time this season, the Dons were upset by Cypress College, this time in overtime by a final score of 78-69. The loss drops the Dons to 13-11 overall and 5-4 in the Orange Empire Conference while Cypress improves to 10-14 and 3-6.

The loss, coupled with Irvine Valley College's 67-59 win over Riverside City College, drops the Dons out of second place and into a tie with idle Orange Coast College for third place.

Overtime was set up by the visiting Chargers holding the Dons scoreless for the final 3:42 of regulation. Ramez Michail hit a layup that put the Dons up 61-59 but the Dons would miss their only field goal attempt as well as a free throw attempt in the final minutes.

Cypress, on the other hand, used a layup by Jerrod Cook and a three-pointer by Israel Barrera with 31 seconds left to tie the game and force overtime. In the extra five minutes, Cypress scored the first four points before Du'Juan Williams scored on a layup to make the game 65-63.

The Chargers followed that make with a 9-0 run to take a commanding 74-63 lead with just 1:45 remaining in overtime. The Dons would get a Justin Bryan layup, plus a free throw, and a Williams layup to cut the lead to 74-68 with 33 seconds left. But Cypress added a Barrera layup and didn't allow the Dons another shot attempt to hold on to the 76-68 victory.

In total, the game saw six ties and 11 lead changes with the Chargers 74-63 lead in overtime holding as the largest lead of the game.

Terrence Blum led the Dons with 13 points followed by Kyle Kintzle with 12 points and Bryan and Michail with 11 points apiece. Jordan Fleck and Cook led all scorers with 15 points each while Barrera and Jeremy Wright followed with 14 points apiece.