Santiago Canyon College Basketball

The Hawks capped off an impressive season with a 20-8 overall record and a 9-5 mark in Orange Empire Conference play, earning a second-place finish in the OEC standings. Their strong performance secured the #6 seed in the CCCAA Men’s Basketball State Playoffs, granting Santiago Canyon a first-round bye. The Hawks will host a quarterfinal matchup at home on Saturday, February 28, against the winner of the Mt. San Jacinto and Antelope Valley game, with tip-off time to be announced.

Santiago Canyon also celebrated individual accolades as several players earned recognition on the Orange Empire All-Conference teams. Jacob De Armas was named to the First Team, while Dominic Bolton, Jayden Oei, and Ryan Weber earned Second Team honors. Paris Lassiter, Chico Lopez, and Matt Mendias received Honorable Mention for their outstanding contributions throughout the season.

It was not pretty. It was not comfortable. It was gritty. With bodies banged up and the rotation stretched thin, Santiago Canyon found a way to outlast Saddleback, 87–83, in a hard fought conference win to secure 2nd Place in the Orange Empire Conference.

Ryan Weber battled through injury and delivered a perfect 6 for 6 from the field, including 4 for 4 from three, finishing with 16 huge points off the bench. Jayden Oei and Paris Lassiter both gutted out minutes despite not being at full strength, giving the team valuable toughness and poise when it mattered most.

Chico Lopez led the way with 19 points and 7 rebounds, attacking the paint and keeping the pressure on. Matt Mendias added 20 points and went 11 of 15 from the line, stepping up late and converting in key moments. Dominic Bolton contributed across the board with 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists in 37 steady minutes. The win moves Santiago Canyon to 20–7 overall and secures second place in the Orange Empire Conference.

Santiago Canyon fell to Riverside 94-90 in a high scoring affair on February 20, dropping to 20-8 overall and 9-5 in conference play. SCC celebrated the careers of Efe Gucoglu, Chico Lopez, Salim Semaan, and Ryan Weber in a pregame ceremony. Their contributions have helped solidify SCC as a top 10 program in California.

The game was a tight affair throughout. SCC received a strong performance from Jacob De Armas, who scored 25 points on 7-of-14 shooting and 10-of-12 from the free-throw line. De Armas also added seven rebounds, three assists, and three steals in a valiant effort. Matt Mendias contributed 19 points and seven rebounds, while Jayden Oei added 14 points and six boards. Paris Lassiter chipped in seven points and six rebounds, and Chico Lopez had 14 points and six rebounds. Santiago Canyon shot 46.8% from the field and 70.3% from the free-throw line, but struggled from three-point range, hitting just 25% (6-of-24).

Turnovers and missed opportunities down the stretch allowed Riverside to pull ahead and secure the win. The Hawks finish conference play in second place and look forward to the CCCAA State Playoffs next week. Seeding and Tournament information will be available Sunday afternoon. Follow the Hawks on InstaGram @scchawksbasketball

CCCAA State Playoff Quarterfinals

Saturday, February 28 at Home vs. TBA

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