March 17, 2010 > Community college balers fall in state tourney Community college balers fall in state tourney By Gary van den Heuvel Basketball season came to a disappointing end for Ohlone and Chabot colleges last weekend at the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) championships, held at Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. Ohlone men entered the tournament as the number-1 seed from the North region, but its quarterfinal showdown with the South's number-4 seed Saddleback (from Mission Viejo) resulted in an unfavorable mismatch for the Renegades. The Gauchos had a distinct size advantage which in part caused Ohlone's shooting to go cold (12-39 shots from the floor). Saddleback got out in front of the Renegades early, leading 34-21 at the half, and basically dominating all aspects of the game; the Gauchos' outscored Ohlone 24-12 in the low post, and their bench destroyed Ohlone, 35-6. The Renegades were able to only get within seven points of Saddleback in the second half before succumbing by a final score of 57-43. Reggie Jones, the Most Valuable Player of the Coast Conference North Division, was Ohlone's leading scorer with 12 points. Chabot's women's team lost by a 67-48 score to Fullerton in its quarterfinal game, who entered the tournament as Southern California's top seed. The Gladiators lost Charnay Bell in the first half due to what may have been a seizure, and fell behind early when Fullerton went on a 17-2 scoring run, trailing 36-20 at halftime. Fullerton was on fire from the floor in the first half, shooting 15-21; Chabot's 25 percent shooting clip from the floor ensured their exit from the tournament. Two bright spots for the number-10 seeded Gladiators were Monica Garcia, who scored 16 points, and Stephanie Amaral, with 15.