1/9/13: Gauchos surge past Pirates in OEC home-opener
 The Saddleback women’s basketball team had a big second half in winning its first conference game of the season over Orange Coast College, 71-62, on Wednesday nigh at the Saddleback Gymnasium. Myishia Watkins scored a game-high 22 points as the Gauchos erupted for 44 points in the final 20 minutes.
Watkins (pictured) had a huge second half, scoring 17 of her 22 points in the final frame. In addition, Watkins had eight assists in the second half, finishing with a game-high of nine. She finished 8-of-17 from the field for the night as Saddleback (10-9, 1-1) shot a blazing 57% in the second half of play.
Orange Coast (9-9, 0-2) was led by Dayanara Armenta, who finished with 16 points for the night. Armenta was 7-of-19 from the field, but just 1-of-9 from three-point range as the Pirates went cold from the outside.
The 71 points by Saddleback equaled a team-high for the year.
The Gauchos will play again next Wednesday when they host Cypress College. Tip time is set for 5:30 PM.
1/5/13: Gauchos come up just short against IVC
The women’s basketball team came up just short in falling to Irvine Valley College, 59-56, on Friday night at IVC. The Gauchos had a late surge against the Lasers, who entered the game at No. 8 in Southern California.
Saddleback struggled from the field in the first half, shooting just 26% from the field in falling behind 33-27 at the intermission. The Gauchos then fell behind by 12 midway through the second frame before chipping away at the IVC lead.
Saddleback scored eight straight points over a three-minute period to cut the lead to 49-45 with 7:20 remaining in the game. The Gauchos would eventually cut the lead to two with 48 seconds remaining but couldn’t get a rebound in the closing minute as Irvine Valley missed 2-of-3 free throws down the stretch. Saddleback had an opportunity to tie the game at the buzzer, but Carla Roacha-Cota’s jumper was off the mark in surrendering the win to the Lasers.
Saddleback was led in scoring my Myishia Watkins (pictured), who had 20 points on the night, making 7-of-11 from the free throw line. Roacha-Cota finished with a team-high nine rebounds and eight steals for the game in a game where IVC outrebounded the Gauchos 56-29 for the night.
Saddleback now stands at 9-9 overall on the season at 0-1 in Orange Empire Conference play after the loss. Irvine Valley improved to 12-7, 1-0 with the win.
The Gauchos will play again on Wednesday night at home against Oregon Coast College. Tip time is set for 5:30 PM.
12/17/12: Late run pushes Gauchos past Southwestern in third place game
 The Saddleback women’s basketball team was pushed to the limit on Sunday in the third place game of the Orange Coast College Christmas Classic. The Gauchos scored the final seven points of the game in nipping Southwestern College, 50-48.
Saddleback led by as many as 14 points in the first half before going ice cold from the field and letting Southwestern back into the game. Myishia Watkins’ made free throw at the 6:50 mark of the first half gave the Gauchos a 21-7 lead, and would be the last points Saddleback would score for 5.5 minutes in watching the lead slip to two. The Gauchos regrouped and extended the lead to seven at the half, but then suffered yet another cold spell in scoring just one point in the first four minutes of the second half in allowing the Jaguars to take their first lead of the game.
Southwestern would extend the lead to 48-43 with just 2:45 remaining in the game before Saddleback made its move. The Gaucho defense clamped down, holding Southwestern to 0-for-5 shooting from the field as the Jaguars also missed their only two free throw attempts. Meanwhile, Watkins, Indigo Scott and Karla Roacha-Cota (pictured) made 5-of-6 from the charity stripe to get Saddleback even at 48-48 with 1:46 remaining. The final dagger came from Lillie Rellin, who buried a jump shot with 1:16 remaining to give the Gauchos a 50-48 lead. Neither team would score in the final minute of the game, as Roacha-Cota and Rellin would collect key defensive rebounds off of Southwestern misses.
Roacha-Cota finished with a game-high 16 points, making 10-of-14 shots from the free throw line. She also led Saddleback with nine rebounds on the afternoon.
Saddleback improved to 9-8 on the season with the win. It was their third defeat of Southwestern during the pre-conference schedule. The Gauchos will now have some time off before starting Orange Empire Conference play on January 4 at Irvine Valley College.
12/15/12: Big first half puts Gauchos in OCC semis
The Saddleback women's basketball team got out to a quick start in
defeating Palomar College on Friday night in the first round of the
annual Coast Christmas Classic, 69-60. The Gauchos will play host
Orange Coast tonight in the semis at 7:00 PM.
Myishia Watkins (pictured) played all 40 minutes and led the charge, scoring a
team-high 19 points in the win. Watkins finished 7-of-16 from the
field, also leading Saddleback with eight assists. Karla Roacha-Cota added 15 points before fouling out with 2:21 remaining in the game. Brooke Wright added 14 points, making 4-of-10 from three-point range.
Saddleback trailed 13-10 before going on an eight point run in 2.5
minutes to take a five point lead. Palomar would fight back to tie the
game at 21-21 at the 6:05 mark of the first half, but would never again
take the lead as the Gauchos regained the lead and never looked back.
Saddleback held a 37-29 advantage at the break and extended the lead to
12 on four occasions in the second half. The Comets did their best to
chip away at the lead, but would never get closer than seven points the
rest of the way.
The win propelled Saddleback into the semifinals where they will meet
Orange Empire Conference rival Orange Coast. The Pirates were 75-69
winners over Cuesta College.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM.
12/10/12:
Gauchos win consolation title at Allan Hancock Tournament
 The Saddleback women’s basketball improved to an even .500 on the season after wining 2-of-3 games at the Allan Hancock College Tournament over the weekend. The Gauchos dropped the opening game but came back to win the consolation title on Saturday with a win over West Hills.
Saddleback had a long drive to Santa Maria on Thursday, so it was no surprise when they showed up a bit flat in dropping the opening game of the tournament in a loss to nearby Cuesta College. The Gauchos regrouped over the next two days, scoring comfortable wins over both Reedley College and West Hills College to improve to 7-7 on the season.
In the consolation finals on Saturday, sophomore forward Nicole Rollinight (pictured) came off the bench to score a team-high 12 points as Saddleback cruised to a 48-35 win over the Falcons. Rollinight finished 6-of-11 from the field on a day when the Gauchos couldn’t find the bottom of the net from three-point range. Saddleback finished just 1-of-17 from beyond the arc, but dominated the game on the glass with a 54-30 rebounding advantage. Karla Roacha-Cota led Saddleback with 18 rebounds in the game while Rollinight added nine.
Saddleback will play next in the Orange Coast Christmas Classic on Friday. The Gauchos (7-7) will play Palomar College (6-3) at 7:00 PM.
12/7/12: Gauchos fall to Cuesta in Hancock opener
 The Saddleback women’s basketball team fell to Cuesta College in the opener of the Allan Hancock Tournament, 77-51, on Thursday afternoon in Santa Maria. The Gauchos had the game within reach at the half, but went cold in the second half in falling into the consolation bracket.
Saddleback kept the game close with a Cuesta program that entered the game 5-1 on the season, trailing by just 33-30 at the intermission. However, the Cougars ran away with the victory by scoring 44 second-half points in moving into the tournament semifinals.
Saddleback shot the ball well, but was beaten on the glass as Cuesta held a 27-21 rebounding advantage for the game. The Gauchos were also victimized by 22 turnovers and starter Karla Roacha-Cota (above) getting into early foul trouble. Roacha-Cota managed to lead the team with 14 points on the afternoon, but played in just a handful of minutes in the second half due to foul trouble. Meanwhile, Cuesta buried 24-of-29 free throws in turning back the Gauchos.
Saddleback (5-7) will play Reedley (3-7) in the consolation semifinals on Friday.
11/16/12: Gauchos win OT thriller in Gaucho Classic opener
 The Saddleback women’s basketball team was a bit off the mark from the free throw line on the night, but collected themselves nicely and made them when it counted in their 54-50 win over Southwestern College on Thursday at the Saddleback Gymnasium. Myishia Watkins (right) made six straight shots from the charity stripe in overtime as Saddleback improved to 3-2 on the season.
Saddleback was dreadful from the line during regulation, making just 4-of-22 in letting the Jaguars back in the game. The Gauchos enjoyed a 27-18 halftime advantage but failed to score for the first 8:45 of the second half in allowing Southwestern to chip away at the lead. Eventually the Jaguars would tie the game at 29-29 with 7:29 remaining when Cardedra Evans completed a 3-point play, giving Southwestern life. It was short-lived, however, as Saddleback answered with five straight points with a jumper from Watkins and a three-pointer from Brooke Wright with 6:23 remaining.
Southwestern would once again chip away at the lead, giving them a chance to win the game in the end. The Jaguars would once again tie the game with 10 seconds remaining when Shanesha Clayton buried two free throws to tie the score at 43-43. Saddleback had one more shot at the buzzer, but it was off the mark and sent the two teams to overtime.
Saddleback turned things around in overtime from the free throw line, making 7-of-8 as Southwestern was whistled for four fouls while Gaucho players were in the act of shooting. Watkins made six straight and Lillie Rellin made 1-of-2 as the Jaguars ran out of steam in the extra five minutes. The Jaguars took their only lead of the game when Alexis Harris nailed a 3-pointer with 1:37 remaining for a 50-49 advantage. Saddleback scored the final five points of the game, capped off with a layup from Wright with 26 seconds remaining on the clock.
Saddleback improved to 3-2 on the season with the win while Southwestern dropped to 1-3 with the loss. The Gauchos will face East Los Angeles College at 7:00 pm tonight at the gymnasium.
11/8/12: Women’s basketball starts the season with high hopes
 The Gauchos are coming off their best season since 2007-08 after finishing 19-10 a year ago. Despite stumbling late, Saddleback qualified for the playoffs for the first time in four years and hopes to build on that success.
The Gauchos once again will look to get out of the gate fast again this season after a 13-2 start in tournaments a season ago. They will have to do it with a whole new cast of players as they return no starters or players who played significant minutes from last season.
However, coach Winn entering his 9th year cannot see a reason to panic and likes his team’s ability to compete with top level teams based on work ethic.
“These ladies work as hard, and play as smart as any team I have coached since being at Saddleback,” Winn said. “I think those two characteristics will show up on the court and equal some wins. We have to gain some experience and learn the level of play is high, and develop some players who can match that level.”
The Gauchos return three players from a year ago and a player off the team two years ago. They welcome eight new players to the team.
Coach Winn is expecting big season from several kids and major contributions from everybody. Myishia Watkins, along with Yoemma Esparza and Ranasia Gaston give the team solid point guard play which has been a light position in the past few seasons for the Gauchos.
“Watkins can be as good as they get,” Winn said. “We expect big things from her.”
 Sophomore returner Kaeleena Vardoulokis (left) has improved greatly as a shooting threat, and will perimeter help from freshman Brooke Wright who can fill it up from anywhere on the court. Freshman Lillie Rellin is a superior athlete who can defend and anchor a defense at times.
The Gauchos will miss all-state performer Shalae Edwards work in the post area, but are confident returners Nicole Rollinight and Indigo Scott can get the job done with major help from freshman Whitney Braeutigam.
Karla Roacho-Cota will play a major role in the Gauchos success as the transfer from Cypress College captains the Gauchos and plays as hard as any play can according to Coach Winn.
“Our team’s success will not be defined by one or two players, but by the whole of its parts,” Winn said. “I like this team, and look forward to us growing as the season goes on.”
2/25/12: Gaucho comeback falls short at Chaffey
 The Saddleback women’s basketball season came to an end on Friday night at Chaffey College in the opening round of the Southern California playoffs, but they didn’t go down without a fight. The Gauchos fell behind by as many as 21 points before falling to the Panthers, 67-61.
Saddleback led 15-11 in the first half before Chaffey went on a 16-0 run over a 5:05 span to take a 27-15 lead with 5:23 remaining in the half. The Gauchos would eventually fall behind by as many as 15 points in the first 20 minutes before chipping the lead down to 35-24 at the intermission.
The cold shooting would reappear to start the second half, as Saddleback would score just five points in the first eight minutes of the second half in falling behind 50-29. The Gauchos then kicked into high gear the rest of the way, outscoring the Panthers 32-17 over the final 12 minutes. Saddleback would eventually get the Chaffey lead down to four points, but with just six seconds remaining on the clock the Gaucho comeback fell short.
Shalae Edwards had a big night for Saddleback, scoring 26 points on 7-for-12 shooting while making good on 12-of-15 free throws. Unfortunately, the rest of the lineup would make just 11-of-39 shots (28%) in a game where the Gauchos just ran out of time.
Saddleback finishes the season at 19-10 overall, the most wins by the program since winning 24 games back in 2007-08.
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