The Irvine Valley men's basketball team earned the No. 4 seed in the innaugural Orange Empire Conference Championship Tournament and hosts No. 5 Santa Ana on Thursday night at home at 7 p.m.
Santa Ana finished fifth in the conference with a record of 6-8.
The Dons are 16-11 overall.
Santa Ana defeated Orange Coast, 93-82, at home Tuesday. Jackson Brennan finished with 24 points to pace the Dons.
Kamaury Washington contributed 20 points, 11 rebounds and four assists off of the bench, Kelvonte Ellis ended with 19 points and 11 rebounds and Mac West went 8 of 10 from the field for 19 points and chipped in six rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
On the season, West is averaging 14.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game, Brennan averages 13.7 points and 4.5 rebounds, Ellis averages 11.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.4 steals and Camron Swist is averaging 8.1 and 2.8 assists per game for Santa Ana.
Irvine Valley held on to the fourth spot for the conference tournament by out-lasting Saddleback, 67-64, on the road Tuesday.
Irvine Valley improved its record to 15-12 overall and 7-7 in conference play.
On Tuesday, IVC was led by freshman post player Matt Mowers with 25 points, five rebounds and three assists. sophomore guard Ammon Allan added 10 points, eight rebounds and three assists and freshman wing player Yanis Aldeguer chipped in eight points and four rebounds for the Lasers.
IVC trailed, 62-61, with 1:02 to play, but scored six of the final eight points of the game. Sophomore forward Josiah Reed gave Irvine Valley the lead for good at 64-62 with a layup and one.
On the year, Mowers is averaging 13.1 points and 5.5 rebounds, Aldeguer averages 9.4 points, Allan averages 8.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists, Reed is averaging 8.1 points and 5.4 rebounds and freshman point guard Allen Moser averages 9.0 points and 2.9 assists for IVC.
All teams are guaranteed three games in this tournament event. The next set of games will take place on Feb. 19 and the event will wrap up on Feb. 21.
