Dons Fall in a Defensive Struggle against Cypress, 55-48
January 11, 2023

Dons Fall in a Defensive Struggle against Cypress, 55-48

SAC Men's Basketball saw it's three game winning streak snapped as they fell to Cypress 55-48 on Wednesday night.

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SANTA ANA, Calif. - Santa Ana Men's Basketball had their three game winning streak snapped in a defensive struggle against the Cypress Chargers (11-7, 4-2) on Wednesday night. 

The Dons (7-9, 3-2) gave themselves a chance as they held the Chargers to a field goal percentage of just 33.3 percent (18-54) overall and 16 percent (4-25) from beyond the arc. But poor shooting and turnovers (20) on the offensive end seemed to get the best of them as they dropped the game by a score of 55-48. 

In the first nine minutes, SAC looked sharp offensively and took control with a 15-7 lead after a Court Franklin layup at the 11:17 mark. 

Following a timeout, the Chargers went on a 8-0 run to tie the game at 15, forcing Santa Ana to regroup with their own timeout. Cypress was able to manufacture some points down the stretch of the period to finish the half 28-20 lead. 

In the second, the Dons stayed within striking distance and made some tough shots but were never able to cut the lead down to less than four. 

Kelvonte Ellis led SAC in scoring once again as the freshman went for 23 points and six rebounds with three steals. Tyler Woods added 10 points and eight rebounds in 29 minutes before fouling out. 

With the loss, the Dons are now tied for third in the Orange Empire Conference standings at 3-2. They'll hit the road on Friday to take on No. 28 Riverside City in a pivotal game at 5:00 p.m.