Back in November, the San Bernardino Valley College men's basketball team got a wake-up call.
Having lost by one point to East Los Angeles College in the semifinals of the Alvin Hunter Classic, the Wolverines were relegated to the third-place game of the tournament against Saddleback College.
After opening up a quick 13-1 lead in the game, SBVC struggled, and could not put away the Bobcats. Saddleback rallied and took a second half lead before the Wolverines forced overtime, which saw Saddleback pull away and win.
Since then, the Wolverines have only lost once – a 70-65 loss to nationally ranked Salt Lake Community College in the Fiesta Bowl Classic in Tempe, Ariz. The winning ways gave SBVC the No. 4 seed in the California Community College Athletic Association Southern California Regional playoffs, and a first-round bye.
Saturday, the Wolverines get another chance against the Bobcats, as No. 13-seeded Saddleback visits SBVC for a second round matchup. Tip-off for the game is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Saddleback finished the regular season with a record of 18-10, finishing in a three-way tie behind top-seeded Fullerton for second place in the competitive Orange Empire Conference. Four teams from the OEC will play in Saturday's second round. Sophomore guard Jimuel Reyes, who has averaged 15.3 points per game this season, has led the Bobcats in scoring. While James Burries has contributed 13.6 points per game in a role mostly off the bench. It was Burries who led all scorers in the November matchup between the two teams.
The Wolverines come in having gone undefeated in Inland Empire Athletic Conference play, and are one of three teams from the conference playing Saturday. SBVC has been paced this season by a trio of sophomores, all of them first-team IEAC selections. At the top of the list is two-time conference most valuable player, Dominique Daniels, who has averaged 26.6 points and 6.5 assists per game this season. The team's second leading scorer has been Armon Muldrew, who averaged 18.9 points per game, while Sebastian Mendoza added 14.3 points per game.
Admission for Saturday's game is $12 for general admission and $8 for school staff, students (with valid ID), seniors (60 and older), and children (12 and younger). Admission prices for all playoff games are set by the CCCAA to help cover game operation costs.
Parking on the San Bernardino Valley College campus is free, and guests should plan on parking in Lot 8 off of Grant Avenue. The gym is located on the second floor of the athletics complex, to the west of the stadium.
