Navigate Up
Sign In
Search
IVC > Athletics > Men's Basketball > News
 
Marcus Walters8/24/2011  Marcus Walters off to Cal State Stanislaus
Another player from the 2010-11 Irvine Valley men's basketball team has signed with a four-year university, according to coach Jerry Hernandez. 
Marcus Walters, who missed most of the season because of a knee injury, is headed to Division II Cal State Stanislaus. Stanislaus is coached by former Long Beach State head man Larry Reynolds.
"I am excited that despite his injury he was still able to earn a scholarship to an outstanding Division II school," Hernandez said. "He rehabbed hard after the injury. When he is back to full strength, Marcus will definitely be able to help them. He has a ton of potential."
The 6-4 Walters was the starting off guard for the Lasers this past year, but injured his knee in the team's 11th game and didn't play again. He averaged 9.4 points on 51.4 percent shooting with 3.3 rebounds and nearly a steal a game before he got hurt.
"It was a blow because Marcus worked so hard and played so well at the start of the year for us," Hernandez said. "We felt he was going to make a real impact for us last season. I am so glad he has bounced back and things are working out for him."
Walters, who prepped at J.W. North in Riverside, was a key player late in the season as a freshman in 2009-10 for the Lasers. He averaged 4.2 points during Orange Empire Conference play and ended up earning most improved player honors for IVC.
The 2009-10 team went 26-5 and reached the state tournament for the first time in school history. Walters is the sixth IVC player from the 2010-11 team to earn a scholarship. The others are forward Travis Fulton (Pacific), forward Joe Eberhard (Sacramento State), Ephraim Ekanem (Northern Arizona), Christian Mack (Northeastern State/Oklahoma) and Jordan Johnson (San Francisco State).
"It is a great group of players moving on," Hernandez said. "They have done so much for us. I am very proud of them. They all deserve it."
That makes 10 players from the last two IVC teams to move on, including five to Division I schools. Hernandez has sent 78 players on to continue their basketball careers at four-year schools in his 16 years at Irvine Valley.
"Other coaches want our guys in their programs," Hernandez said. "It says a lot about the players and people we have here."
 
7/20/2011  Jordan Johnson headed to San Francisco StateJordan Johnson
Irvine Valley sophomore center Jordan Johnson has signed to play at Division II San Francisco State in the fall, according to Laser Coach Jerry Hernandez.
The 6-10 Johnson was a back-up in the post for IVC for the last two years. He saw increased playing time and was a solid contributor for the Lasers, especially in Orange Empire Conference play, during the 2010-11 season. He helped IVC to a record of 23-8 overall and a spot in the Southern California Regional Finals.
In 25 games, Johnson averaged 1.8 points and 1.5 rebounds. He had a season-high six points in 19 minutes of action in a conference win over Santa Ana and five points, two rebounds and a steal in a IVC conference victory over Orange Coast.
"Jordan has battled some injuries, but has been productive when healthy and on the floor," Hernandez said. "He looks and feels good now and San Francisco State is excited about him. He had a really solid workout with them when he visited. Jordan has excellent hands and feet for a big guy. I think they are getting a steal."
San Francisco State had a 16-11 overall record this past season and a 14-8 mark in the CCAA. They were ranked 10th in the nation in Division II in the final regular season poll. Johnson, who played in high school at Santa Margarita, is the fifth IVC player from the 2010-11 team to earn a scholarship.
 
6/1/2011  2010-11 men's basketball team awards handed outIVC sophomore players
The Irvine Valley men's basketball team recently celebrated a special 2010-11 season at its end of the year banquet.
The Lasers finished with a record of 23-8 overall and reached the Southern California Regional Final. They were one of the top eight teams in the state for the second straight year.
The MVP and best rebounder award went to sophomore forward Travis Fulton. Fulton, who is headed to the University of the Pacific, was also named first team all-Orange Empire Conference for the second season in a row and first team all-state. 
Fulton averaged 16.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 0.9 steals during the 2010-11 season.
He scored in double figures in 23 of 26 game, had nine games with 20 points or more and grabbed double-figure rebounds in eight games. He finishes up at Irvine Valley, ranked fifth in program history in season scoring average (16.6 points) and sixth in career scoring average (14.6). 
Sophomore center Ephraim Ekanem and sophomore point guard Christian Mack also earned two team awards each. Ekanem was named most improved and best academic player. Mack was given awards for best defender and most inspirational player.
The 6-7 Ekanem was a back-up during the 2009-10 season, but made huge strides for the Lasers this past year. He ended up being named honorable mention all-Orange Empire Conference after averaging 8.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game during the 2010-11 season.
He started all 31 of Irvine Valley’s games.
Ekanem also averaged 9.8 points and 8.3 rebounds and shot 59.3 percent during conference games. He was second in the Orange Empire Conference in field goal percentage at 55.2 percent. He is headed to Northern Arizona on a scholarship in the fall.
Mack averaged just 3.9 points, 2.0 assists and 1.5 rebounds a game in 2010-11, but Coach Jerry Hernandez said Mack's stats didn't tell the whole story.
"He was our best defensive player, one of our best leaders and just a solid all-around point guard," Hernandez said. "He is a player that we are definitely going to miss. He is a winner." Mack will be playing at Division II Northeastern State in Oklahoma next season. 
 
5/17/2011  Mack signs with Northeastern State
Irvine Valley men's basketball coach Jerry Hernandez announced that sophomore point guard Christian Mack has signed to play at Division II Northeastern State in Oklahoma next season. Mack was a vital player for IVC the past two years.
The Lasers reached the state tournament during the 2009-10 season and made the So. Cal. regional final this past year.
"We are excited for him," Hernandez said. "He is going to an established Division II program with a terrific history. They value the importance of a steady, competitive leader and that is exactly what Christian will bring them. He will be good for them."
Mack was a key reserve on the 2009-10 IVC team and started this past season. He averaged just 3.9 points, 2.0 assists and 1.5 rebounds a game in 2010-11, but Hernandez said Mack's stats didn't tell the whole story.
"He was our best defensive player, one of our best leaders and just a solid all-around point guard," Hernandez said. "He is a player that we are definitely going to miss. He is a winner."
 Mack is the fourth IVC player to sign with a four-year college, joining sophomore forward Joe Eberhard (Sacramento State), sophomore forward Travis Fulton (Pacific) and sophomore center Ephraim Ekanem (Northern Arizona).
 
4/27/2011  Ephraim Ekanem signs with NAU
Irvine Valley men's basketball coach Jerry Hernandez announced that sophomore post player Ephraim Ekanem has signed to play at Northern Arizona University next season.
"It is a great opportunity for Ephraim," Hernandez said. "He has really earned it by working hard and improving so much over the last two years."
The 6-7 Ekanem was a back-up during the 2009-10 season, but made huge strides for the Lasers this past year. He ended up being named honorable mention all-Orange Empire Conference after averaging 8.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game during the 2010-11 season.
He started all 31 of Irvine Valley’s games and helped the Lasers go 23-8 and make the Southern California Playoff Regional Finals. Ekanem also averaged 9.8 points and 8.3 rebounds and shot 59.3 percent during conference games.
He was second in the Orange Empire Conference in field goal percentage at 55.2 percent. Ekanem scored a season-high 23 points in Irvine Valley’s win at Orange Coast during conference and had 19 points in a win at Fullerton. He also grabbed a season-best 14 rebounds in an early-season win over Cuyamaca. In his career at IVC, averaged 5.0 points and 4.1 rebounds.
Ekanem is headed to a NAU program that finished with a record of 19-13 overall, reached the semifinals of the Big Sky Tournament and played in the post-season CIT Tournament where it lost to Santa Clara.
Ekanem, who prepped at Ontario Christian High, will be joining former Irvine Valley teammate Durrell Norman at Northern Arizona. Norman played in all 32 of the Lumberjacks' games this past season, starting 23 of them, and averaged 3.6 points and 3.8 rebounds a game.  To read even more about Ekanem's signing click here
 
4/18/2011  Team MVP Travis Fulton signs with Pacific
One of the best players in Irvine Valley men’s basketball program history is headed to the University of the Pacific.
Sophomore forward Travis Fulton signed with the Pacific to continue his education and basketball career on Tuesday.
“It is an unbelievable opportunity and a great fit for Travis,” Irvine Valley Coach Jerry Hernandez said. “And it is the perfect system for Travis to thrive in. Bob Thomason is a heck of a coach.”
The talented and multi-dimensional 6-6 Fulton was named first team all-Orange Empire Conference the last two seasons and to the first team all-state team for this past year. He became only the fifth player in IVC program history to be named to the all-state team.
He joined former standouts Keon Clark (1994-95), Daryl Todd (1996-97), Mike Ahmad (2000-01) and Danny Lambert (2002-03). Fulton ranked first in the conference in scoring, second in rebounding and seventh in assists for the 2010-11 campaign.
He averaged 16.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 0.9 steals for the season and scored in double figures in 23 of 26 games. Fulton had nine games with 20 points or more and grabbed double-figure rebounds in eight games.
He scored a season-high 27 points and also grabbed 12 rebounds in a win over Chaffey in the final of the Rio Hondo tournament, which Irvine Valley won. Fulton recorded eight double-doubles (points and rebounds).
In his career at IVC, Fulton averaged 14.6 points and 7.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. He finishes up at Irvine Valley, ranked fifth in program history in season scoring average (16.6 points) and sixth in career scoring average (14.6). 
Over the two years Fulton was at IVC, the Lasers had a record of 49-13, reached the state tournament in 2009-10 and made it to the regional final in 2010-11.
“Travis, along with sophomores Joe Eberhard, Christian Mack and Ephraim Ekanem took our program to another level the last two years,” Hernandez said. “Travis was really a gamer and was such a consistent performer for us. We are really going to miss all the things he could do for us on the floor.”
Fulton, who prepped at Corona Santiago High, is headed to a Pacific team that is coming off a season in which it finished with a record of 16-15 overall. The Tigers fell in the quarterfinals of the Big West Conference Tournament to eventual tourney winner UC Santa Barbara.
Fulton joins IVC teammate and fellow sophomore Eberhard in heading to play at a four-year school. Eberhard committed and will sign with Sacramento State. It brings the total of Irvine Valley players under coach Hernandez headed to four-year schools to continue their basketball careers to 70. To read even more about Fulton's signing click here
 
3/28/2011  Star forward Joe Eberhard headed to Sacramento State
Irvine Valley sophomore men's basketball player Joe Eberhard is headed to Sacramento State.
The forward recently committed the the Big Sky Conference school, according to IVC Coach Jerry Hernandez. Eberhard was a two-year starter for the Lasers and helped Irvine Valley to two of the best seasons in program history.
Irvine Valley made the Elite Eight of the playoffs each year and reached the State Tournament for the first time in school history during the 2009-10 campaign.
Over the two years, Irvine Valley had a record of 49-13. Eberhard was named first team all-Orange Empire Conference in 2010-11 after ranking fifth in the conference in rebounding, eighth in assists and ninth in scoring.
He averaged 11.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steals on the season. Started and played in 30 of the team's 31 games. Eberhard scored in double figures in 17 game this past season and had three double-doubles (points and rebounds).
One of his best games was a 20-points, 15-rebound and seven-assist performance in a win over Santa Monica in Irvine Valley's own tournament. He scored a season-high 26 points two times (against Santa Rosa and Mt. SAC). He made 10 of 11 field goals in route to the 26 points in IVC’s win over Mt. SAC in the Saddleback tournament.
For his career at IVC, Eberhard averaged 10.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Eberhard came to Irvine Valley after sitting red-shirting a season at UC Irvine. He was a star high school player at Corona del Mar, being named all-league and all-CIF.
He averaged 15.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists as a senior for the Sea Kings, helping lead them to a Pacific Coast League title. And as a junior, Eberhard helped CdM to a league title and then a CIF championship. Sacramento State finished this past season with a record of 7-21 overall and 4-12 in the Big Sky.
But among the team's 21 losses, four came in overtime and five more were by six points or less. To read even more about Eberhard's signing click here
 
3/20/2011  Travis Fulton named to all-state first team
Travis Fulton made some history at Irvine Valley recently. Fulton became only the fifth player in program history to be named to the all-state team.
He joined former standouts Keon Clark (1994-95), Daryl Todd (1996-97), Mike Ahmad (2000-01) and Danny Lambert (2002-03).
Fulton was recently named first team all-Orange Empire Conference for the second season in a row. He ranked first in the conference in scoring, second in rebounding and seventh in assists. Fulton averaged 16.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 0.9 steals during the 2010-11 season.
He scored in double figures in 23 of 26 game, had nine games with 20 points or more and grabbed double-figure rebounds in eight games. Fulton scored a season-high 27 points and also grabbed 12 rebounds in a win over Chaffey in the finals of the Rio Hondo tournament and scored 26 points in a victory over LA Valley.
He recorded eight double-doubles (points and rebounds) and had a season-high six assists in two games (Santa Ana and Riverside). In his career at IVC, Fulton averaged 14.6 points and 7.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. 
Fulton finishes up at Irvine Valley, ranked fifth in program history in season scoring average (16.6 points) and sixth in career scoring average (14.6).  
 
3/2/2011  Lasers move on in playoffs, stun Mt. SAC
The Irvine Valley men's basketball team moved a step closer to reaching the state tournament for the second straight year.
IVC went on the road and defeated the No. 1 seed in the CCCAA Southern Regional Playoff semifinals Wednesday night.
Behind a stifling defensive effort and some timely baskets down the stretch, the eighth-seeded Lasers beat Mt. SAC, 57-55.
The Lasers held another high-scoring team to its season low. Mt. SAC's previous low was 58 in a 66-58 loss to Riverside early in the season. Mt. SAC had scored at least 90 points in nine games this year and was averaging 84.4 points a game.
IVC freshman guard Kalob Hatcher blocked a three-point attempt by Mt. SAC's top player, Antonio Biglow, at the buzzer to preserve the win Wednesday night. Irvine Valley was led by sophomore forward Travis Fulton, who had 14 points and nine rebounds.
Sophomore forward Sean Donovan had one of his best games of the year with 12 points, three assists and three steals and sophomore forward Joe Eberhard contributed nine points and eight rebounds in the win.
Fulton, Donovan, sophomore guard Christian Mack and freshman guard Ramon Mejia, who hit an important three-pointer, all made big baskets in the final minutes to help Irvine Valley take the lead for good.
And Eberhard, Donovan and Mack each took turns in trying to make things difficult for Biglow. Biglow, who was averaging 22.7 points per game, finished with 15 points on 7 of 19 shooting from the floor, including 1 of 5 from three-point range.
Mt. SAC was paced by forward Kaimyn Pruitt, who had 17 points and nine rebounds. Maybe Irvine Valleys' biggest stat of the night was in the turnover department where it only committed six for the game, including just one in the second half.
It was the also second straight year Irvine Valley knocked the Mounties out of the playoffs. 
IVC, which improved its record to 23-7 overall, now moves on to the playoff regional final at No. 4 Citrus in Glendora on Saturday night at 7 p.m. Citrus defeated No. 5 Chaffey, 72-62, in another regional semifinal Wednesday night. The winner of that game advances to the state tournament at Ventura College on March 11.          Box Score               Playoff Bracket              Listen to a podcast of the game here
  
3/1/2011  Men's basketball team headed to Mt. SAC for regional semis
For the second straight year, the Irvine Valley men's basketball team is taking on Mt. San Antonio in the CCCAA Southern Regional Playoffs.
Last year, IVC earned a dramatic 72-71 overtime victory at home in the regional finals to move on to the state tournament. This year, Irvine Valley is at Mt. SAC Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. in the regional semifinals.
Mt. SAC is this year's No. 1 seed in the region. The Mounties, who won the South Coast North Division, have a record of 23-5 overall. Mt. SAC started the playoffs with an easy 86-68 win over Long Beach City last Saturday night at home.
Sophomore guard Antonio Biglow finished with 29 points and nine assists. Freshman guard Ervin Ware added 20 points and sophomore forward Kaimyn Pruitt had 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Mt. SAC shot 50 percent (31 of 62) for the game and out-rebounded Long Beach City, 48-38. Mt. SAC won despite having 26 turnovers. Biglow is up for state player of the year honors. He is ranked fourth in the state in scoring at 22.7 points per game. Biglow is also averaging 4.7 assists and 2.8 steals per game.
Sophomore forward Elijah York averages 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game and Ware is averaging 8.8 points 4.4 assists. Tempo will be a key. Mt. SAC is averaging 84.4 points per game. Irvine Valley gives up just 62.3 points a game.
The two teams have already met once this season with Irvine Valley defeating Mt. SAC, 81-71, in the semifinals of the Bill Brummel Tournament at Saddleback last December. Biglow scored 27 points and Ware had 16 points.
Irvine Valley was led by sophomore forward Joe Eberhard, who had a season-high 26 points. Sophomore forward Travis Fulton added 19 points and eigh rebounds, freshman guard Ramon Mejia finished with 14 points and freshman guard Jose Vasquez came off the bench with 10 points.
Irvine Valley placed third in the Orange Empire Conference and has a record of 22-7 overall. IVC started the playoffs with a 63-50 win over San Bernardino Valley at home last Friday night. IVC held San Bernardino Valley to its lowest point total this season. 
Fulton had 19 points and 11 rebounds and freshman guard Kalob Hatcher added 13 points for the Lasers. 
IVC is paced by Fulton, who is averaging 16.6 points and 7.2 rebounds a game. Eberhard averages 11.9 points and 6.3 rebounds, Hatcher is averaging 9.4 points and 4.1 assists and Mejia is averaging 9.2 points. IVC scores 72.7 points per game. 
The winner of Wednesday's game will move on to the regional final on Saturday and take on the No. 5 Chaffey-No. 4 Citrus winner.          Playoff Bracket 
 
2/25/2011  Lasers open Southern Regional Playoffs with a statement winJoe Eberhard
The Irvine Valley men's basketball team put a halt to its three-game losing streak, but even more importantly moved on in the CCCAA Southern Regional Playoffs.
The eighth-seeded Lasers defeated No. 9-seed San Bernardino Valley, 63-50, in a playoff quarterfinal game Friday night at Irvine Valley. Defense was the key. 
The Lasers held San Bernardino Valley 21.5 points under its season scoring average. The 50 points was the lowest total the Wolverines have scored this season. The team's previous low was 55 in a 61-55 loss to IVC rival Saddleback. San Bernardino Valley shot just 37.7 percent (20 of 53) from the floor, 18.2 percent (2 of 11) from three-point range and 40 percent (8 of 20) from the free throw line in the game.
And the Lasers helped hold San Bernardino Valley's best player and the Foothill Conference MVP Keon Pledger to just 4 of 21 shooting on the night. Pledger, who was averaging 18.5 points per game, finished with only 12.
"It was the best defense we've played all year," IVC Coach Jerry Hernandez said. "We were worried because they are so talented. We just tried to make them take tough shots. I thought Joe (Eberhard) and Ramon (Mejia) did a nice job on Pledger for most of the game." 
Irvine Valley was much more efficient, shooting 47.2 percent (25 of 53) from the floor and 40.0 percent (8 of 20) from three-point range. The Lasers never trailed in the game. The contest was tied, 2-2, early on, but then Irvine Valley went on a 10-1 run.
A jumper by sophomore forward Sean Donovan gave the Lasers a 12-3 lead with 14:18 left in the first half. Another big run put IVC comfortably ahead. The Lasers went on a 16-3 run and took a 33-13 lead on a three-point play by freshman forward Yanick Kulich with 5:11 left in the first half.
But those were the final points IVC scored in the first half. San Bernardino Valley closed on a 12-0 run to make it a 33-25 game at halftime. The Wolverines got within 41-34 on two free throws by Pledger early in the second half.
But IVC's lead was back up to double digits (44-34) after Mejia made a three-pointer with 13:07 to play. And soon after, Irvine Valley put the game out of reach with a 7-2 spurt. As part of the run, Mejia made another three-pointer and Eberhard and Donovan each finished lay-ups.
The Lasers led, 55-40, with 6:59 to play. San Bernardino Valley didn't get closer than 13 points the rest of the way. Sophomore forward Travis Fulton was the star for Irvine Valley, finishing with 19 points, 11 rebounds and four assists.
Freshman guard Kalob Hatcher added 13 points and three assists, Donovan had 10 points and Mejia and Eberhard each contributed nine points in the win.
"We got contributions from everyone," Hernandez said. "We played really, really well." Irvine Valley, which improved its record to 22-7 overall, moves on to the regional semifinals next Wednesday.
The Lasers will play the winner of Saturday night's Long Beach City and Mt. San Antonio game. Mt. SAC is the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.         Box Score 
 
2/21/2011  Men's basketball team seeded eighth for the playoffs
The Irvine Valley men's basketball team dropped its final three games of the regular season, but the Lasers still earned a home game for the quarterfinals of the Southern California Regional Playoffs.
The Lasers are seeded eighth and will host No. 9 San Bernardino Valley this Friday (Feb. 25) at 7 p.m. The winner will move on to the regional semifinals - most likely at No. 1 Mt. San Antonio next Wednesday.
IVC fell to Riverside, Saddleback and Cypress to end the regular season. The 64-62 defeat at the hands of Cypress last Friday night at IVC was a heartbreaker.
The game was close throughout. It was tied, 33-33, at halftime and tied 10 different times in the second half. Each side led by as many as four points in the second half. IVC was up, 54-50, after a three-pointer by freshman guard Kalob Hatcher with 7:54 to play.
Cypress tied it at 56-56, but then Irvine Valley went ahead, 59-56, on a three-pointer by freshman guard Ramon Mejia with 3:10 left. Zack Zaragoza answered with a three-pointer for Cypress to tie it at 59-59, with 2:43 to go.
It was back and forth from there with IVC taking a 60-59 lead and then Cypress going up, 61-60. Sophomore forward Joe Eberhard knocked down two free throws to put Irvine Valley ahead, 62-61, with 55 seconds left. Zaragoza then missed a three-pointer on Cypress' next possession.
But on IVC's next time down the floor, sophomore forward Travis Fulton was called for an offensive foul/intentional foul with 24 seconds left near midcourt when he turned with the ball and caught a Cypress player with an elbow.
Michael Knight made one of two free throws for Cypress to tie the game at 62-62. Cypress then got the ball out of bounds for the last shot.
Knight drove into the lane and then passed the ball out to the right baseline where Marquise Washington drained a game-winning jumper from about 15 feet with 1.4 seconds to go.
IVC tried a long distance pass, but the ball was knocked away.
Irvine Valley's record slipped to 21-7 overall and 8-4 in the Orange Empire Conference. IVC ended up finishing third in conference. Cypress went 16-12 overall and 6-6 in conference. The Chargers failed to make the playoffs.
IVC was led by Fulton, who had 20 points and nine rebounds, Mejia, who finished with 14 points and Eberhard, who had 10 points, five rebounds and three assists.
Andre Winn had 20 points, four assists and four steals to lead the Chargers.          Box Score
 
2/16/2011  IVC falters against Saddleback
For the second straight year, the Irvine Valley men's basketball team saw its chance at an Orange Empire Conference title dashed by Saddleback.
A year ago in Mission Viejo, the Gauchos beat the Lasers, 44-41, to knock IVC into second place and hand Riverside the title. The same kind of thing happened Wednesday night at Irvine Valley, but the score wasn't close.
Irvine Valley had trouble getting anything going in the first half and ended up losing to Saddleback, 65-46. Irvine Valley's record slipped to 21-6 overall and 8-3 in conference, while Saddleback improved to 24-6 overall and 9-3 in conference.
It was Saddleback's final game of the regular season. Irvine Valley hosts Cypress, a team which beat it in the first round of conference action, on Friday night to finish up the regular season. Riverside is now in the driver's seat to win the conference crown again.
The Tigers, who had a bye on Wednesday, play last-place Orange Coast on Friday. Riverside's conference record sits at 9-2. Saddleback's defensive intensity gave IVC fits all night, but especially in the first half on Wednesday and the Gauchos jumped out to a big lead. Saddleback scored the first six points of the game and never looked back. IVC didn't get its first points until the 14:17 mark when sophomore forward Joe Eberhard hit a three-pointer.
Saddleback took its first double-digit lead at 19-9 on back-to-back layups by Wendell Faines and Vonchae Richardson with 8:09 left in the first half. Saddleback also scored the final 13 points of the first half.
IVC went the final 7:14 without a point. A three-pointer by Marquis Green gave Saddleback a 32-10 lead at halftime. Saddleback held IVC to just 14.8 percent shooting (4 of 27) in the first half. IVC was also 1 of 12 from the three-point line and 1 of 4 from the free throw line in the opening 20 minutes.
Saddleback led by as many as 25 points in the second half and Irvine Valley never got closer than 18 points. For the game, Irvine Valley shot 30.4 percent (17 of 56). Saddleback shot 45.7 pecent (21 of 46).
Another key was Saddleback going 18 of 22 (81.8 percent) from the free throw line. IVC was 8 of 14 from the line. Saddleback also out-rebounded Irvine Valley 37-33. Green finished with 14 points for the Gauchos. Prince Obasi added 12 points, 10 rebounds and six assists and Faines had 12 points and six rebounds. IVC was paced by Eberhard, who had 12 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore center Ephraim Ekanem added seven points and eight rebounds.          Box Score
 
2/14/2011  Lasers ranked fourth in the stateTeam
Even with its loss to Riverside last week, the Irvine Valley men's basketball team only dropped on spot in this week's state poll, which was released on Monday.
Irvine Valley went from third to fourth in the poll. San Francisco, Mt. SAC and Fresno are the only teams ahead of the Lasers.
The top 10 ranked teams in the state are San Francisco, Mt. SAC, Fresno, Irvine Valley, Southwestern, Diablo Valley, Chabot, Canada, Riverside and Saddleback.
IVC takes on No. 10 Saddleback on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. The teams have split two meetings so far this season.
 
2/9/2011 Men's basketball team slips at Riverside
The Irvine Valley men's basketball team isn't in first place in the Orange Empire Conference by itself anymore. The Lasers lost their sole possession on the top spot after falling to Riverside, 75-67, Wednesday night at J.W. North High in Riverside.
Riverside is playing most of its games at North High School because its own gym is under construction. Riverside moved into a tie with Irvine Valley with the victory. The Tigers, ranked 15th in the state, improved their record to 17-10 overall and 8-2 in conference.
Irvine Valley, which was ranked third in the state this week, slipped to 21-5 overall and 8-2 in conference. IVC finishes out the regular season with two home games next week, hosting Saddleback on Homecoming Night next Wednesday and then hosting Cypress, the other team to beat the Lasers in conference this year, next Friday.
Riverside, which is on a six-game win streak, plays at Fullerton this Friday and then hosts Orange Coast next Friday to close out the regular season.
IVC struggled throughout the game shooting as the Tigers used their length and athletic bodies to force the Lasers into nine turnover and 34 percent shooting in the first half. The Tigers, meanwhile, enjoyed one of their best halves of the season, shooting 46 percent. After 20 minutes, Riverside had opened a 35-24 halftime lead.
The second half was a game as streaks. Down 17 points, 46-29, with 16:44 remaining, the Lasers put together a 15-2 run over the course of a 4:44 span, getting them within four at 48-44. Riverside, however, answered back, going on a 7-0 run to regain a double-digit lead.
The Tigers managed to regain their 17-point lead, but Irvine Valley scored the final nine points of the game to make it look respectable.
The Tigers finished the game shooting 53 percent (28 of 52) from the floor and forced Irvine Valley into 14 turnovers. Each team had three players score in double figures. The Tigers were led by Corey Walker, who scored 18 points.
Teammates Davie Champagnie and Larry Thompkins each finished with 13.
Irvine Valley got 17 points apiece from sophomore forward Joe Eberhard and freshman guard Ramon Mejia. Sophomore forward Travis Fulton added 12 points. But the Lasers ended up shooting just 37.3 percent (22 of 59) from the floor for the game.          Box Score
 
2/4/2011  Lasers set record, beat Santa Ana by 52 Ephraim Ekanem
For a while it seemed like the Irvine Valley men's basketball team couldn't miss a shot. IVC, ranked third in the state, raced out to a 32-5 lead and went on to a 89-37 win over Santa Ana in an Orange Empire Conference game Friday night at Irvine Valley.
It was the largest margin of victory in IVC program history, eclipsing a 46-point win the 2007-08 team had over Sacramento City.
The Lasers jumped out 16-2 and never looked back. They went ahead, 32-5 on a three-pointer by sophomore Travis Fulton.
Fulton scored 15 of IVC's first 32 points on 6 of 8 shooting with three three-pointers. Irvine Valley pushed the lead to 50-10 on a lay-up by freshman Jose Vasquez with 3:20 left in the half.
IVC was up, 59-14, at halftime. It shot 66.7 percent (24 of 36) from the floor and 52.9 percent (9 of 17) from three-point range in the opening 20 minutes. Santa Ana shot 12.5 percent (3 of 24) from the floor in the first half.
IVC took its first 50-point lead (77-27) on a free throw by freshman Yanick Kulich with 9:05 left in the contest. And the Lasers took their largest lead of the game at 84-29 on a three-pointer by Kulich with 4:00 left.
For the game, IVC shot 55.4 percent (36 of 65) and made 12 three-pointers. Santa Ana shot 23.1 percent (12 of 52). IVC also out-rebounded the Dons, 45-32. Fulton finished with 15 points in 19 minutes.
Sophomore center Ephraim Ekanem had 14 points on 6 of 6 shooting from the field and added 12 rebounds in 18 minutes. Freshman guard Kalob Hatcher contributed 14 points and Kulich and freshman guard Ramon Mejia each added 10 points.
Freshman guard Chris Taylor had nine points and Vasquez chipped in eight rebounds. IVC remained in first place in the OEC with a record of 7-1.
The Lasers improved their overall record to 20-4. The Lasers have an important game at Riverside next Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.         Box Score
 
2/2/2011  Men's basketball team routs Orange Coast
Irvine Valley had little trouble with Orange Coast on Wednesday, beating the Pirates, 82-55, in a Orange Empire Conference game that was never close.
It was IVC’s second-easiest win of the season (the Lasers beat Cuyamaca by 35 points in November). The Lasers shot 54.1 percent (20 of 37) from the field in the first half to race out to a 48-20 lead. IVC also made 7 of 14 three-pointers in the first half.
The Lasers led by as many as 32 points in the second half – at 71-39 on a three-pointer by freshman guard Kalob Hatcher with 6:50 left in the game. Four players scored in double figures, led by the OEC’s leading scorer sophomore forward Travis Fulton, who had 20 points. He also added nine rebounds and three assists. Hatcher finished with 16 points and five assists.
He was 4 of 6 from three-point range. And sophomore forward Sean Donovan and freshman guard Ramon Mejia each added 11 points.  Donovan, who made 3 of 4 three-pointers, also had six rebounds.
Irvine Valley out-rebounded OCC, 42-27, and the Lasers finished with 25 assists (to 14 turnovers) on 32 made baskets. IVC, which is ranked third in the state, remained in first place in the conference standings, a game in front of both Saddleback and Riverside.
Fulton is averaging 17.3 points and 7.5 rebounds, sophomore forward Joe Eberhard is averaging 12.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals, Hatcher averages 9.3 points and 4.1 assists,
Mejia is averaging 8.9 points and sophomore center Ephraim Ekanem is averaging 8.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.
Irvine Valley is shooting 44.6 percent from the floor, 36.0 from three-point range and scoring 74.3 points a game. The Lasers next take on Santa Ana at home on Friday at 5:30 p.m.          Box Score
 
1/30/2011  Lasers rebound with win over Fullerton
The Irvine Valley men's basketball team bounced back from its first loss in Orange Empire Conference play with a 76-62 win at Fullerton on Friday night.
The Lasers suffered their first conference loss on Wednesday, falling to Cypress, 77-68.
In that contest, IVC led at the half by seven points (29-22), but gave up 55 points in the second half to a dangerous Charger team. The Lasers took care of business throughout on Friday at Fullerton to improve their record to 19-4 overall and 6-1 in conference.
IVC led, 25-23, at the 10 minute mark. Irvine Valley took control of the game soon after and took a 43-30 lead into halftime. 
The Lasers were never really threatened in the second half. Irvine Valley was led by freshman guard Ramon Mejia, who finished with 21 points. He was 8 of 14 from the field and 5 of 9 from three-point range.
The Lasers hit 9 of 22 (40.9 percent) from three-point range as a team. Sophomore center Ephraim Ekanem added 19 points on 8 of 11 shooting from the field. Ekanem also had eight rebounds. Sophomore forward Travis Fulton contributed 13 points and 14 rebounds and freshman guard Kalob Hatcher also had 13 points.
Irvine Valley also out-rebounded Fullerton, 36-22, in the contest.
"We played good, but not great," IVC Coach Jerry Hernandez said. "I thought we played good defense in spots. What I was pleased with was how well we rebounded the ball."
The Lasers remained in first place in conference with the win. With Riverside beating Saddleback on Friday, the Lasers hold a one-game lead over Riverside and Saddleback in the standings. IVC hosts two games this week.
The Lasers take on Orange Coast on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. and then Santa Ana on Friday at 5:30 p.m.          Box Score
 
1/24/2011  IVC moves up to No. 2 in state rankings
With its key win at Saddleback last Friday night and 5-0 record in Orange Empire Conference play, the Irvine Valley men's basketball team moved up from No. 10 to No. 2 in the state rankings.
It ties the highest IVC has ever been ranked in the poll. IVC was previously ranked No. 2 during the 2007-08 and 2009-10 seasons. Irvine Valley is also now ranked No. 1 in the South Region.
The only team ahead of IVC in the state rankings is San Francisco. Fresno, Diablo Valley and Mt. SAC round out the top five.
IVC has won six straight games overall and is now 16-1 since starting the year with a 2-2 record.
The top 10 in the South Region in order are Irvine Valley, Mt. SAC, Citrus, Saddleback, San Bernardino Valley, Southwestern, Barstow, Mt. San Jacinto, Antelope Valley and Chaffey. IVC plays again Wednesday night at Cypress at 7:30 p.m.
 
1/22/2011  Lasers upset No. 1 Saddleback
The Irvine Valley men's basketball team didn't look good in losing to Saddleback, 74-58, in December in the final of the Bill Brummel Classic. Last Friday night was a different story.
The Lasers played one of their best games of the season to knock off Saddleback, which was ranked No. 1 in the state, 69-58, in a Orange Empire Conference showdown at Saddleback.
"If you want to give yourself a chance to win conference you have to go through Saddleback," IVC Coach Jerry Hernandez said. "It was a real quality win." 
The victory moved Irvine Valley, which was ranked No. 10 in the state, into first place by itself in the conference standings. IVC's record improved to 18-3 overall and 5-0 in conference.
Saddleback slipped to 20-4 overall and 5-1 in conference. Unlike the previous match-up where Saddleback jumped out to a 23-point lead in the first half, it was IVC that raced out to a big lead in the first 20 minutes Friday night.
The Lasers did so behind the hot shooting of freshman guard Ramon Mejia. Mejia was 4 for 4 in the from three-point range.
"Ramon carried us for a while with his will and tenacity," Hernandez said. "He made big plays." IVC made good on 7 of 13 shots from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes. The Gauchos shot just 30 percent from the field in the first half, missing all three attempts from three-point range. 
Saddleback failed to score a basket for the final 6:36 of the first half and IVC turned a narrow lead into a 14-point advantage at halftime after a 23-6 run to end the first half. Saddleback didn't get closer than eight points in the second half and IVC led by as many as 16 points before closing out the 11-point victory.
Mejia finished 5 of 7 from three-point range and had 19 points while sophomore forward Travis Fulton led the Lasers with 21 points and seven rebounds.
"Travis had six offensive rebounds," Hernandez said. "He wasn't getting a lot of open looks on offense so he had to go and get the ball and create opportunities for himself."
Sophomore center Ephraim Ekanem added 10 points and 13 rebounds and sophomore forward Joe Eberhard had nine rebounds to go along with five points. IVC out-rebounded Saddleback, 48-33, in the contest.
"A great deal of our success was because of how we played defense and rebounded," Hernandez said. "(Assistant coaches) Drew (Alhadeff) and Jason (Garey) came up with a better gameplan against them than we had the first time. It really gave us a chance to win."
IVC plays again Wednesday, facing Cypress on the road at 7:30 p.m. in another conference contest.         Box Score 
 
1/14/2011  Lasers get huge overtime win over Riverside at home
Irvine Valley's men's basketball team stayed unbeaten in Orange Empire Conference play, defeating Riverside, 62-58, in overtime Friday night at IVC.
In a defensive battle, Riverside shot just 33.9 percent (20 of 59) and IVC shot 37.5 percent (21 of 56) from the field in the game. There wasn't a whole lot separating the two teams. IVC out-rebounded Riverside, but just 42-41.
Each team had 19 turnovers. Irvine Valley was 14 of 16 (87.5 percent) from the free throw line with Riverside going 15 of 23 (65.2 percent). Irvine Valley looked in control, leading, 48-41, with 8:19 to play after a lay-up by sophomore forward Sean Donovan.
But IVC didn't score for almost the next five minutes. Riverside tied the score at 48-48. The Lasers took a 53-51 lead on a free throw by sophomore forward Joe Eberhard with 10 seconds left. Riverside sent the game to overtime when Corey Walker scored with five seconds left in regulation to tie it at 53-53.
The Lasers out-scored Riverside, 9-5, in the extra period. The Lasers led the whole way in OT. Sophomore center Ephraim Ekanem started things off with a three-point play to give IVC a 56-53 with 4:35 to play.
Two free throws by Eberhard and then two free throws by Donovan increased the lead to 62-56. Riverside's Walker scored with a second left for the final tally of 62-58.
Irvine Valley, ranked ninth in the state, improved its record to 17-3 overall and 4-0 in conference, while Riverside slipped to 11-10 overall and 2-2 in conference.
Irvine Valley was led by sophomore Travis Fulton, who finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two blocks and Eberhard, who had 14 points and nine rebounds. Donovan added 12 points and Ekanem added 11 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.
Andrew Fisk finished with 14 points, six rebounds and two blocks and Deondrae Lewis had 11 points for the Tigers.
IVC has a bye in the conference schedule on Wednesday and travels to district rival Saddleback next Friday night at 7:30 p.m. It is the first night of the President's Cup series between the two schools. Saddleback is also hosting a Coaches vs. Cancer night. Saddleback handed IVC one of its three losses this season in mid December.          Box Score
 
1/12/2011  Lasers win big behind Fulton's 18 points
The Irvine Valley men's basketball team ran its record to 3-0 in Orange Empire Conference play and won its fourth game in a row with a 76-53 victory at Santa Ana on Wednesday night. IVC, which is ranked ninth in the state, ran its record to 16-3 overall. The game was close in the opening minutes, but then the Lasers pulled away. Neither team took control of the game in the early stages as the Dons established a 14-11 lead nine minutes in.
The Lasers answered with the first run of the game as they put up 13 straight points to take a 24-14 lead four minutes later. The Lasers maintained their 10-point lead at 37-27 going into the half before the Dons pulled within 41-35 three minutes into the second half. IVC retook control of the game and quickly extended its lead to 21 points five minutes later.
The closest the Dons would get for the remainder of the game was 13 points before the Lasers took the game by a final score of 76-53. IVC was led by sophomore forward Travis Fulton with 18 points, four rebounds and six assists followed by sophomore forward Joe Eberhard with 17 points and five rebounds and freshman guard Ramon Mejia with 14 points, four rebounds and four assists.
Freshman guard Kalob Hatcher added nine points and sophomore center Ephraim Ekanem had eight points and eight rebounds. Irvine Valley plays host to a talented Riverside squad on Friday at 7:30 p.m.          Box Score
 
1/8/2011  Ekanem's double-double helps finish off Orange Coast 
Irvine Valley's men's basketball team won its second straight game to open Orange Empire Conference play.
The Lasers beat Orange Coast, 73-61, on the road Friday night. The win improved IVC, which is ranked No. 15 in the state, to 15-3 overall.
The game was tied, 52-52, with 9:08 left when IVC went on a 15-4 run over the next seven minutes to put the win away. Sophomore center Ephraim Ekanem led the Lasers with 23 points and 10 rebounds, while sophomore forward Sean Donovan added 13 points and sophomore forward Travis Fulton had 11 points, five rebounds and three assists.
Sophomore guard Christian Mack contributed eight points and freshman guard Kalob Hatcher had six assists. IVC shot 51.1 percent from the field for the game (24 of 47).
IVC also out-rebounded Orange Coast, 37-29. Matt Sawdon had 20 points to lead OCC.
Irvine Valley is on the road again next Wednesday, traveling to Santa Ana for a 7:30 p.m. game.          Box Score
 
1/5/2011  Men's basketball team blasts Fullerton in conference opener
The Irvine Valley men's basketball team had no problem Wednesday night in its Orange Empire Conference opening game.
The Lasers beat Fullerton, 65-44, in a contest that was never close. IVC led, 43-21, at halftime, making 16 field goals, including five three-pointers.
The win improved the Lasers' record to 14-3 overall. IVC, which is ranked No. 15 in the state, got double-doubles from sophomore forwards Travis Fulton and Joe Eberhard.
Fulton had 20 points and 11 rebounds and Eberhard finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
Freshman forward Yanick Kulich and freshman guard Kalob Hatcher each chipped in six assists in the victory. IVC also only committed eight turnovers and out-rebounded Fullerton, 49-41.
IVC plays again on Friday traveling to Orange Coast for a conference game at 7:30 p.m.          Box Score 
 
1/2/2011  Men's basketball team pounds LA Valley on the road
Irvine Valley's men's basketball team defeated LA Valley, 82-56, on the road last Thursday to finish the non-conference portion of its schedule.
Sophomore forward Travis Fulton led the team with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Sophomore center Ephraim Ekanem had 13 points and 12 rebounds, sophomore forward Sean Donovan finished with 15 points on five three-pointers and freshman guard Kalob Hatcher added 11 points.
Sophomore guard Christian Mack and freshman guard Ramon Mejia each chipped in with six assists.
Prior to conference play, IVC has won two of the four tournaments it played in, reached the final in another and has a record of 13-3 overall.
IVC opens conference on Wednesday with a home game against Fullerton at 7:30 p.m. 
 
12/19/2010  IVC knocks off Mt. SAC, falls in title game
The Irvine Valley men's basketball team recorded its best win of the season Saturday night in the semifinals of the Bill Brummel Classic at Saddleback.
The Lasers defeated Mt. SAC, which was ranked fifth in the state, 81-71. Sophomore forward Joe Eberhard led the way with 26 points, sophomore forward Travis Fulton added 19 points and eight rebounds, freshman guard Ramon Mejia had 14 points and five rebounds, freshman guard Jose Vasquez chipped in 10 points off the bench and freshman guard Kalob Hatcher had seven assists in the win for the 12th-ranked Lasers.
But the good feelings didn't last long as IVC was beat in the final the following day by host Saddleback, 74-58. Saddleback led by as many as 23 points in the second half.
IVC shot just 38.5 percent from the field in the game, while Saddleback shot 54.5 percent, including 61.1 percent in the second half.
The Gauchos also out-rebounded the Lasers, 34-19. Fulton, who was named to the all-tournament team finished with 15 points for IVC in the defeat.
Hatcher had 11 points and Eberhard, who was also named all-tournament, contributed nine points. Irvine Valley record moved to 12-3.
The Lasers next play a non-conference game on Dec. 30 at 7 p.m. at Los Angeles Valley. 
 
12/16/2010  Lasers beat Long Beach in Brummel tourney
The Irvine Valley men's basketball team recorded its ninth straight win, beating Long Beach City, 85-78, to open the Bill Brummel Classic at Saddleback College Thursday afternoon.
The Lasers have won the last two tournaments they have played in (Monterey and Rio Hondo) and are currently ranked 12th in the state and seventh in Southern California. Irvine Valley has a record of 11-2 overall.
The win over Long Beach City was a bit of redemption for the Lasers. Irvine Valley's last loss this season came to Long Beach City in its own IVC Classic on Nov. 18.
IVC played a strong first half, struggled to score early in the second half and then pulled away at the end. A three-pointer by freshman guard Kalob Hatcher put Irvine Valley ahead, 38-26, with 3:00 left in the first half.
IVC led, 47-35, at halftime. Long Beach City pulled to within 76-72 with 3:51 to play in the game before IVC created some separation.
Mejia hit a three-pointer, sophomore forward Joe Eberhard scored and Irvine Valley got two defensive stops to take a 81-74 lead with 1:51 to play.
Sophomore forward Travis Fulton led the way in the win with 24 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. Fulton was named the Southern California player of the week by jcscores.com after being named the MVP of the Roadrunner Round Up at Rio Hondo last week.
Fulton is averaging 17.1 points and 7.1 rebounds on the season.
Also contributing for IVC in the win over Long Beach City were Hatcher with 19 points, six assists and two steals, sophomore center Ephraim Ekanmen with 13 points and six rebounds and Mejia with 11 points.
Irvine Valley moves on to face Mt. SAC on Friday at 5 p.m. in the semifinals. Mt. SAC is ranked fifth in the state. The Lasers beat the Mounties in the So. Cal. Regional final last year to make the state tournament.
 
12/10/2010  Irvine Valley wins Rio Hondo tourney
The Irvine Valley men's basketball team won its second straight tournament.
It beat Chaffey, 65-51, in the final of the Roadrunner Roundup at Rio Hondo in Whittier on Friday night.
Sophomore forward Travis Fulton was named MVP. He led the Lasers with 27 points, 12 rebounds and three assists in the title game.
Fulton averaged 22 points over IVC's three wins in the tournament.
Sophomore guard Christian Mack, who was a standout on defense in the event, was also named to the all-tournament team.
Also in the title game, freshman guard Kalob Hatcher had 12 points, six rebounds and three assists and sophomore Joe Eberhard added 11 points and nine rebounds.
Irvine Valley opened the tournament by defeating Glendale, 70-67, behind 20 points from Fulton and 16 points from Eberhard.
It then defeated Pasadena, 69-49, to reach the title game. Fulton had 19 points and seven rebounds and freshman guard Ramon Mejia finished with 11 points and six rebounds in the victory over Pasadena.
With the three wins, Irvine Valley has now won eight games in a row. IVC plays again on Thursday, facing Long Beach City in the Bill Brummel Classic at Saddleback at 1 p.m.
Long Beach City handed IVC one of its two losses earlier this season. 
 
12/5/2010  Basketball team takes Monterey Bay ClassicKalob Hatcher
The Irvine Valley men's basketball team won three straight games to capture the Monterey Bay Classic for the second straight season this past weekend.
The Lasers defeated Santa Rosa, 78-70, on Thursday, Hartnell, 76-63, on Friday, and then Sierra, 77-60, in the final on Saturday.
The three victories also gave IVC a five-game win streak overall. IVC freshman guard Kalob Hatcher was named the tournament's most valuable player and sophomore forwards Sean Donovan and Joe Eberhard were named to the all-tournament team.
Donovan and sophomore Travis Fulton combined for nine of IVC's 11 three-pointers made in the championship game win over Sierra (Donovan hit six of six three-pointers and finished with 24 points).
Fulton added 21 points and sophomore guard Marcus Walters had 11 points. IVC shot 11 for 24 as a team from three-point range.
"We just controlled the game from the start," said IVC Coach Jerry Hernandez, who also picked up his 300th victory at Irvine Valley with the win over Hartnell on Saturday. "We really shot the ball well." 
IVC plays again Wednesday in the Rio Hondo Tournament in Whittier. The Lasers open against Glendale at 7 p.m.
 
12/3/2010  Basketball team gets another win up North
The Irvine Valley men's basketball team won its second straight game and provided its coach with a milestone victory in the Monterey Bay Classic, beating Hartnell, 73-63, Friday night.
"We didn't play that well, but got it done," IVC Coach Jerry Hernandez said.
What the Lasers also got done was the 300th win for Hernandez.
The 16th year coach improved his mark at the school to 300-177.
Freshman guard Kalob Hatcher led the way with 19 points. He made two three-pointers and was 9 of 11 from the free throw line.
Sophomore guard Marcus Walters finished with 11 points, freshman guard Ramon Mejia had 10 points and sophomore forward Sean Donovan added nine points in the win.
IVC moved on to face Sierra in the final on Saturday afternoon.
The Lasers, 6-2 overall, are gunning for the tournament title in Monterey for the second straight season.
 
12/2/2010  Lasers open Monterey tourney with win
The Irvine Valley men's basketball team started the Monterey bay Classic on Thursday with a 78-70 victory over Santa Rosa.
The Lasers actually trailed, 40-37, at the end of the first half, but played a strong final 20 minutes to earn the win.
Sophomore forward Joe Eberhard led the way with 26 points. He scored 15 of those points in the first half. Freshman guard Kalob Hatcher added 14 points - all in the second half. Sophomore guard Marcus Walters and sophomore forward Travis Fulton each finished with 10 points for the Lasers, who improved their record to 5-2 overall.
IVC, which improved its record to 5-2 overall, moved on to play Hartnell on Friday night in the second round of the tournament.
 
11/20/2010  Irvine Valley Classic Final Day Results
Championship Game
Ventura def. Long Beach City, 91-79 - Ventura’s James Ennis finished with 31 points and five rebounds in the win. He averaged 24.7 points, 10.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.3 steals in Ventura’s three victories. Ennis also shot 53.4 percent from the field. Michael Melonas added 16 points and six rebounds, Austin Ramljak finished with 11 points and Eric Mitchell had 10 points and four assists for the Pirates. Ventura shot 65.1 percent from the floor (28 of 43) in the game, but struggled with turnovers (26) and free throw shooting (31 of 50). Long Beach City stayed in the game until the final minutes thanks to 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists from Raynard Tyler and 12 points and four rebounds from Robert Mandingo. Ronald Nezey added nine points and six rebounds and Devonte Norton finished with nine points and five assists for the Vikings. Long Beach City ended with 22 offensive rebounds in the game, but shot only 37.3 percent from the field (28 of 75).

Third place Game
Imperial Valley def. Canyons, 65-64 - Imperial Valley bounced back from losing in the third-place game at the IVC Classic last season. Darius Singletary led Imperial Valley with 16 points. Joseph Johnson added 12 points and Greg Brown finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Imperial Valley out-rebounded Canyons, 44-33. The Arabs grabbed 24 offensive rebounds in the game. Imperial Valley did struggle at the free throw line, making only 14 of 30 attempts. Brad Wyche had 22 points, Rafael Love added 14 points and Wesley Bartole had 13 points for Canyons. The Cougars made 19 of 22 free throws, but hurt themselves with 24 turnovers.
 
Consolation FinalSean Donovan
Irvine Valley def. Santa Monica, 91-76 - It was the second-straight game in which Irvine Valley put up more than 90 points in a tournament victory. The Lasers had a record of 2-1 in the event, losing on the first day to Long Beach City, 65-63. In the consolation final, Joe Eberhard finished with 20 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists, Sean Donovan had 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists and Ephraim Ekanem added 16 points. IVC had five players score in double figures. The Lasers finished with 19 assists to just 12 turnovers. Santa Monica was led by Deshawn Stephens, who had 16 points and 12 rebounds, Lee Lark, who finished with 16 points and AJ Harris, who had 14 points and 12 assists. Santa Monica hurt itself by making just 13 of 31 free throws.

All-Tournament team
MVP – James Ennis - Ventura
 
Ventura – Michael Melonas
Ventura – Austin Ramljak
Long Beach City – Devonte Norton
Long Beach City – Raynard Tyler
Imperial Valley – Darius Singletary
Irvine Valley – Joe Eberhard 
 
11/19/2010  Irvine Valley Classic Second Day Results
Santa Monica def. Cerritos, 92-77 - Santa Monica led the whole way. The Corsairs put up 53 points in the first half to lead by 11 points and cruised from there. Santa Monica shot 50.6 percent from the field as a team, including 61.5 percent in the first half, and helped force 28 Cerritos turnovers in the contest. Santa Monica was led by strong performances from AJ Harris and Deshawn Stephens. Harris had 21 points, 11 assists, six rebounds and four steals, while Stephens finished with 22 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks. Stephens made 11 of 14 shots from the floor. Lee Lark chipped in 13 points, five assists and three steals and Everett Brown had nine points and Matt Sinclair added eight points and five rebounds. Cerritos got 19 points from Keith Wiltz, 15 points and seven ebounds from Anthony Scott and 13 points, six rebounds and five assists from Nick Sanchez.
 Marcus Walters
Irvine Valley def. Cuyamaca, 99-64 - Irvine Valley defeated Cuyamaca for the second time
in less than a week. The 99 points and 35-point margin of victory were highs for the Lasers on the young season. IVC led, 37-28, at the end of the first half, but blew the game open early in the second half. Irvine Valley shot 65.6 percent (21 of 32) in the second half and 54.0 percent for the game from the floor. Sophomore guard Marcus Walters had his best game as a Laser with 20 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore forward Joe Eberhard matched Walters with 20 points. He also finished with six rebounds and three steals. Sophomore forward Sean Donovan added 15 points and five assists, sophomore center Ephraim Ekanem had 12 points and five rebounds and freshman guard Jose Vasquez contributed 10 points and two steals off the bench. Cuyamaca got 12 points from Aaron Douglas (he was 4 for 4 from three-point range) and 11 points from Harry Brazelton.
 
Ventura def. Imperial Valley, 72-49 - Ventura raced out to a big lead in the first half and never looked back. Ventura led, 42-22, at the end of the first half. The Pirates, who improved their record to 4-1, got strong efforts from James Ennis, Austin Ramljak and Michael Melonas. Ennis followed up his 24-point, 17-rebound performance in an opening round win, with 19 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and three steals. He also a couple of highlight reel dunks in the contest. Ramljak added 14 points and Melonas had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Imperial Valley was led by Darius Singletary, who finished with 16 points and eight rebounds, and Joseph Johnson and Greg Brown, who each had 12 points. Imperial Valley shot just 37.0 percent from the field and committed 24 turnovers.
 
Long Beach City def. Canyons, 68-59 - In the most competitive game of the day, Long Beach City pulled away in the second half to move into the championship game. The Vikings led by just two (32-30) at halftime, but shot 52.0 percent in the second half (13 of 25) from the floor to earn the win. Kyle Clark, who played just four minutes in LBCC's opener after suffering an injury, was dominant inside for Long Beach City. He finished with 14 points and 18 rebounds (seven offensive). Robert Mandingo had his second solid game with 15 points and Long Beach City also got 14 points from Bernard Tyler and 11 points from Stephan Heard. Canyons was paced by Wesley Bartole, who finished with 20 points and five rebounds, Rafael Love, who had 14 points and six rebounds and Parker Dominguez, who added eight points, four nine rebounds and four assists.
 
11/18/2010  Irvine Valley Classic First Day Results
Ventura def. Cerritos, 88-80 - James Ennis led Ventura with 24 points, 17 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Both teams had four players score in double figures. Michael Melonas added 20 points, seven rebounds and two blocks for Ventura. Cerritos got 21 points from Keith Wiltz, 17 points from Darius Williams and 16 points, nine rebounds and five steals by Anthony Scott.
 
Imperial Valley def. Santa Monica, 76-64 - Imperial Valley played a strong first half and then held on for the victory. Imperial Valley was paced by 12 points and nine rebounds by Joseph Johnson, 11 points and seven rebounds by Darius Singletary and 10 points by Greg Brown. The Arabs shot 51.9 percent from the floor for the game. Santa Monica got 13 points and five rebounds from DeShawn Stephens and 12 points from Everett Brown in the defeat.
 
Long Beach City def. Irvine Valley, 65-63 - to read more about this game see story below
 
Canyons def. Cuyamaca, 88-80 in OT - Canyons got a big three-pointer near the end of regulation by Donald Smith to tie the score and then the Cougars out-scored Cuyamaca, 14-6, in the extra session. Smith led a balanced effort for Canyons, which had five players score in double figures. Smith finished with 18 points and six rebounds, Wesley Bartole had 17 points and six rebounds, Parker Dominguez contributed 14 points and eight rebounds and Rafael Love had 13 points and seven rebounds. Cuyamaca got an impressive performance from Jywrell Wilson, who finished with 29 points on 9 of 13 shooting from the field (4 of 6 on three-pointers) and going 7 of 10 from the free throw line. Wilson added 10 rebounds. Tony Lor also had 14 points for Cuyamaca.
 
11/18/2010  Lasers lose opening game in IVC Classic
The Irvine Valley men's basketball team saw its record fall to 2-2 on the season after a disappointing loss in its opening game of the Irvine Valley Classic on Thursday evening.
The Lasers let a second-half lead slip away and fell to Long Beach City, 65-63.
Irvine Valley was led by freshman guard Ramon Mejia, who finished with 17 points, five rebounds and three steals. Sophomore forward Joe Eberhard added 11 points and seven rebounds before fouling out late and sophomore center Ephraim Ekanem had 10 points and four rebounds before also fouling out.
No other player scored more than six points for Irvine Valley.
IVC hurt itself by missing 10 free throws (15 of 25 for the game) and committing 20 turnovers. IVC was also out-scored by Long Beach City on second-chance points, 17-9.
"We are at a state where our inexperience is really a factor," IVC Coach Jerry Hernandez said. "We are just making too many stupid mistakes. We have to play with more of a sense of urgency and with greater detail. The bottom line is that we have to play smarter. We have to improve and we have to do it quickly."
IVC led, 32-29, at halftime and was up, 55-51, with 5:35 to play after two free throws by Ekanem. But Long Beach City went on a 9-2 run and swent ahead, 60-57, with 1:43 left on two free throws by Stephan Heard.
Irvine Valley tied the game, 60-60, on a three-pointer by Mejia with 1:32 left, but Ronald Nezey put his team back up by three points after nailing a three-pointer with 1:15 to play.
IVC pulled back even at 63-63 on a three-point play by sophomore guard Marcus Walters with 1:05 left. But those were the Lasers' final points of the game.
A free throw by Mandingo gave the Vikings a 64-63 edge with 35 seconds to go.
Irvine Valley had its chances down the stretch, but Eberhard and sophomore forward Sean Donovan each missed shots in the closing seconds.
Mandingo missed and made a free throw to put Long Beach City ahead, 65-63 with four seconds left.
Irvine Valley freshman guard Kalob Hatcher raced down the floor and tried a layup as time expired, but it fell off the rim.
Mandingo led Long Beach City with 14 points, six rebounds and four steals off the bench.
Stephan Heard added 12 points and five rebounds, Stephen Armstrong contributed eight points and seven rebounds and Devonte Norton had six points, six assists and three steals for the Vikings, who improved their record to 1-0 on the season.
 
11/16/2010  Men's basketball team prepares for ClassicRamon Mejia
The Irvine Valley men's basketball team will try and win its own tournament for the second straight season when the IVC Classic gets started on Thursday.
The tournament runs Thursday through Saturday. There are four games on Thursday starting at 2 p.m., four games on Friday beginning at 1 p.m. and three games on Saturday starting at 12 noon. The championship game in on Saturday at 4 p.m.
Irvine Valley defeated Santa Monica, 81-70, in the title game last season. IVC had a fantastic season last year, reaching the state tournament for the first time in program history.
The Lasers are off to a 2-1 start this season. IVC rallied back from a double-digit deficit in the second half to edge Cuyamaca, 73-69, in the team's first home game of the season last Friday night.
Sophomore Joe Eberhard ended with 13 points, nine rebounds and four assists for the Lasers.
Freshman Ramon Mejia had his best game for Irvine Valley to lead a solid bench effort. Mejia knocked down four three-pointers and finished with 20 points.
Irvine Valley's bench had 44 points on the night.
Freshman Kalob Hatcher added 12 points, three assists and three steals. And freshman Yanick Kulich had some huge moments for IVC in the second half and finished with 10 points and eight rebounds.
Irvine Valley opens the tournament against Long Beach City on Thursday at 6 p.m.
"We think there are some very talented and athletic teams such as Ventura and Santa Monica," IVC Coach Jerry Hernandez said. "The guard play in the tournament is going to be outstanding. Teams will be aggressive and attacking.
"This is a measuring stick for us. We always think the talent level is strong in our tournament and we want to gain more game experience, especially for our young players." 
 
11/9/2010  Lasers falter in second half at SouthwesternJoe Eberhard
The Irvine Valley men's basketball team dropped its first game of the season, losing to Southwestern, 66-58, in Chula Vista on Tuesday night.
IVC was up by five points (32-27) at halftime and led until about 13 minutes to play when Southwestern went ahead for good.
"We shot the ball well for most of the game, but struggled for a lot of the second half," IVC Coach Jerry Hernandez said.
"They were too quick for us and we had trouble scoring in the paint all game," Hernandez said. "We just need to play a little tougher.
"There is still a lot of work to be done."
Irvine Valley sank 5 of 14 three-pointers in the first half, but didn't make any (0 for 9) in the second half. IVC also struggled at the free throw line, going just 7 for 15 as a team.
Sophomore Joe Eberhard was IVC's top scorer with 17 points, eight rebounds, three steals and three assists. Sophomore Christian Mack added 11 points and four steals and sophomore Sean Donovan had eight points. Freshman Kalob Hatcher and sophomore Marcus Walters each finished with six points for the Lasers. Hatcher also had three assists.
IVC plays its first home game of the season Friday night, hosting Cuyamaca at 7:30 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with the Laser women's team.
 
11/6/2010  Men's basketball team starts season with win
It wasn't always pretty, but the Irvine Valley men's basketball team earned its first win of the 2010-11 season Friday night.
The Lasers dominated the first half, withstood a second half charge and then pulled away from MiraCosta in a 86-70 victory at MiraCosta on Friday night.
"It was a win, but we were nowhere near where we need to be right now," IVC Coach Jerry Hernandez said. "The game got real sloppy at times. We have to be more polished."
Irvine Valley was led by sophomore forward Joe Eberhard, who finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
"Joe was the difference for us," Hernandez said. "He really carried us. Ephraim (Ekanem) was a positive inside and we made a few three pointers in the second half that were big."
Freshman point guard Kalob Hatcher ended with a team-high 18 points coming off the bench. Hatcher went 16 of 16 from the free throw line.
Ekanem, a sophomore center, contributed 13 points and nine rebounds, sophomore guard Marcus Walters added 12 points and sophomore forward Travis Fulton had eight points and five rebounds.
The Lasers out-rebounded MiraCosta, 43-28, and IVC helped force 24 MiraCosta turnovers.
Irvine Valley plays again on Tuesday in a non-conference game at Southwestern.
 
11/5/2010  2010-11 IVC men's basketball preview
When the Irvine Valley men's basketball team lost in the quarterfinals of the 2010 California Community College Athletic Association Championships at Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks last March Coach Jerry Hernandez started thinking about next season.
"We should have high aspirations for our program," Hernandez said after his team fell to City College of San Francisco. "The bar will be a little higher."
Next season is here and Hernandez hasn't changed his tune.
"In two of the last three years we have been legitimate state contenders," Hernandez said. "I don't see why we can't be that again. We are trying to maintain what we have. It is a challenge with 91 teams playing basketball in this state, but the goal is to get back."
The keys to last year's 26-5 team, according to Hernandez were "good chemistry, good camaraderie and good intelligence all year" and he believes his 2010-11 squad is making progress on all three fronts.
"In some areas I think we are better and in some areas it is still unknown," Hernandez said.
Six key players, including two starters, return from last year's team, which was ranked as high as No. 2 in the state.
They are 6-6 sophomore forward Travis Fulton, 6-6 sophomore forward Joe Eberhard, 6-4 sophomore guard/forward Sean Donovan, 6-0 sophomore point guard Christian Mack, 6-4 sophomore guard Marcus Walters and 6-7 sophomore center Ephraim Ekanem.
Fulton and Eberhard are returning starters. Fulton was an all-Orange Empire Conference player last season after averaging 13.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He had 22 points and 12 rebounds in 43 minutes in an overtime win over Mt. SAC that advanced IVC to the state tournament.
Eberhard, a former Corona del Mar High standout, averaged 9.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists last season. He has been mentioned as a player of the year candidate in the state this season.
"Travis and Joe are athletic and strong," Hernandez said. "They can pass the ball, dribble, shoot and rebound. They were two of the leading rebounders in the league last year. And they do it all playing as hard as they can. They are really productive college players."
Mack, Walters and Ekanem are IVC's other starters heading into this season.
Mack was the team's back-up point guard last year and averaged 3.9 points and 1.3 assists and was second on the team in three-pointers made.
"He has shown great leadership and work ethic," Hernandez said. "
We are expecting big things from Christian."
Walters, who Hernandez said was one of IVC's best players this past summer, averaged 2.5 points last year in a limited role.
"He has really progressed and we need him to take even another step," Hernandez said. "He has to make an impact for us. He is very athletic, can penetrate and is becoming more physical. He is capable of doing a lot of things and then some."
Ekanem was IVC's back-up center last season and averaged 1.4 points and 2.0 rebounds.
"Ephraim has really grown as a basketball player," Hernandez said. "He has the potential to do some things for us this year."
Donovan, who was the Lasers' sixth man last season, will play a similar part this year. A season ago, Donovan averaged 3.5 points and 1.8 rebounds.
"He is so versatile and can play virtually every position on the court," Hernandez said. "His knowledge and IQ and leadership have been really strong. He is guy that is ready for anything."
Donovan will also be one of a number of long-range shooters IVC has in its arsenal this season.
"With Sean and Christian and others I think we shoot the ball better from outside this year than we have in years," Hernandez. "We shoot the ball well from our point guard, our off guards, our wings and our four spot."
Irvine Valley might have even more depth this year than last. Joining Donovan as some of the first players off the bench will be 6-6 freshman forward Jesse Hazely, 6-4 freshman guard Jose Vasquez, 5-11 freshman guard Kalob Hatcher and 6-0 freshman guard Ramon Mejia.
Hazely, who will back-up in the post, red-shirted at UC Riverside last year.
"A lot of our success this year is going to depend on what Ephraim and Jesse can give us in the post and how productive we are there," Hernandez said.
Vasquez, out of Quincy High in Boston, Mass., will play a wing spot for the Lasers, while Hatcher (Foothills Christian High) and Mejia (Corona del Mar High) will back up the guard positions.
"Jose is very athletic and has a ton of talent," Hernandez said. "And with Christian, Kalob and Ramon, I think we have the best point guard depth we've ever had here. They can all play and will probably play some together. Kalob has natural instincts to find others on the court. He has great vision and great speed and good ball skills. He is a good spot shooter as well. Ramon does it with more power and strength and is also a very good shooter."
And freshman guard Chris Taylor (Laguna Beach High) will be added to the mix soon too for the Lasers. The athletic 6-5 player is out right now with a hand injury.
Also pushing for time will be 6-7 freshman forward Yanick Kulich (Woodbridge High) and 6-10 sophomore center Jordan Johnson.
IVC opens the season tonight at MiraCosta and plays its first home game of the season next Friday night against Cuyamaca at 7:30 p.m.
 
11/4/2010  Carrier contributing at Eastern New Mexico
Max Carrier, who starred on Irvine Valley's state tournament team last season, is already making an impact at Division II Eastern New Mexico.
Carrier, who is starting at forward, had seven points, eight rebounds and a blocked shot in Eastern New Mexico's 80-58 exhibition loss to New Mexico on Wednesday night at The Pit in Albuquerque.
Carrier, who was IVC's most valuable player last season, had three points and five rebounds in the team's 80-76 exhibition opening loss to defending Conference USA champion UTEP last week.
Eastern New Mexico will conclude its exhibition schedule on Monday at New Mexico State.
 
11/4/2010  Norman shines in Northern Arizona exhibition
Former IVC men's basketball standout Durrell Norman stood out in his first game with Northern Arizona.
The junior had 14 points and eight rebounds in the Lumberjacks' 96-86 exhibition victory over Western New Mexico on Wednesday night in Flagstaff, Ariz.
Norman played 22 minutes off the bench and made 5 of 6 shots from the floor and 4 of 6 free throws. Among his eight rebounds were six on the offensive end. He also added a blocked shot in the game.
Norman helped the Lasers reach the state tournament last season, averaging 13.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
 
8/30/2010  Norman signs with Northern Arizona norman.JPG
Irvine Valley sophomore men's basketball player Durrell Norman has signed with Division I Northern Arizona, according to Laser Coach Jerry Hernandez.
Norman, a 6-3 guard/forward, was a first team all-Orange Empire Conference player this past season. He was the third-leading vote getter for the conference MVP award.
Norman averaged a team-high 13.5 points per game and shot 48.6 percent from the field. Norman also averaged 6.4 rebounds and 2.2 steals a game.
"Northern Arizona is a great fit for Durrell," IVC Coach Jerry Hernandez said. "They usually have really good shooters and he will give them a great driver. With great shooters around Durrell, it will make his game even that much more effective."
Norman helped lead one of the best ever teams at IVC. The 2009-10 squad made its first ever trip to the state tournament, finished second in one of the top conference's in the state and won the second-most games (26-5) in school history.
Irvine Valley was also ranked in the top five in the state for most of the season.
Norman scored in double figures in 21 games and went for 20 or more points in a game six times. Norman's high for the season was 28 points twice (vs. Cypress and Saddleback).
Against Saddleback, he was 8 of 13 from the floor, 1 of 1 from three-point range and made 11 of 13 free throws in a 69-60 Irvine Valley victory.
"Durrell was definitely one of our leaders and a team captain," Hernandez said. "His work ethic, character and leadership skills are very high."
Norman red-shirted at Irvine Valley during the 2008-09 season after transferring from Antelope Valley.
Norman Helped Antelope Valley to a record of 25-11 overall and 10-4 and a first-place tie in conference during the 2007-08 season. He averaged 5.0 points and 3.4 rebounds.
Norman prepped at Serrano High in Phelan. He averaged 15.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals as a senior and was named all-CIF and all-league.
He is headed to a Northern Arizona squad that finished with a record of 14-14 overall and 8-8 in the Big Sky Conference. NAU has won at least 14 games in nine of the last 11 seasons.
 
8/25/2010  Ballard finds a home at San Jose StateM Ballard.JPG
Former Irvine Valley starting center Matt Ballard wasn't out of basketball for too long.
The 6-8 Ballard decided not to play last year after starring at IVC during the 2008-09.
He chose to concentrate on only school at San Jose State.
But after being seen in some pick-up games by Spartan coaches this past spring, Ballard was persuaded to join San Jose State.
He is expected to sign a letter of intent very soon to play for San Jose State in the fall, according to Irvine Valley Coach Jerry Hernandez.
Ballard played at Trabuco Hills High, where he averaged 13 points and 10.3 rebounds as a 2006-2007 senior and then signed on with UC Irvine.
The 2007-2008 season had him on the court for 120 minutes as an Anteater freshman.
He then transferred to IVC where he was able to showcase his skills.
Hernandez enjoyed his time coaching Ballard.
"He is such a high character guy and is extremely unselfish and knowledgeable," Hernandez said. "I loved the kid."
Ballard averaged 7.7 points and 6.7 rebounds for the Lasers despite battling several injuries.
"I know it was a tough decision after he left here not to continue his career," Hernandez said. "He had opportunities. But I am glad he is giving it another shot.
"He should fit in just fine at San Jose State and I know they are happy to have him. Matt understands how the game is played and is very skilled player."
Ballard is majoring in kinesiology with the idea of eventually becoming a university athletics director.
When recently asked about what Spartan basketball fans should expect to see from him in 2010-2011 on the website spartanhoops.com, Ballard offered, "what Spartan fans will see is a hardworking, unselfish player who is willing to do whatever it takes to win."
 
8/23/2010  Former Laser competes in NBA summer league
Former IVC basketball player competes in NBA Summer League Former Irvine Valley men's basketball player Kashif Watson suited up with the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas recently.
Watson played in two games for the Warriors and averaged 3.0 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists.
He averaged 10.7 points and 2.1 assists per game in his senior year at the University of Idaho this past year.
Watson's older brother, C.J. Watson, has played the last three seasons for Golden State.
Watson, a 6-4 guard, averaged 13.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and shot 52.3-percent from the floor to help lead Irvine Valley to a program-record 27 wins (27-5) and to the Southern California Regional finals during the 2007-08 season.
 
8/19/2010  Travis Ballard headed to Jackson StateTravisBallard.JPG
Irvine Valley sophomore men's basketball player Travis Ballard has committed to Jackson State University, according to Laser Coach Jerry Hernandez.
Ballard was scheduled to travel to Jackson, Miss. Friday to be ready for classes, which start on Monday.
Hernandez said Ballard was invited as a preferred walk-on for the Jackson State team with an admissions scholarship.
"I am really happy for him and hope that it works out," Hernandez said. "Travis is a really hard-working kid and was a great leader on our team. He was a really big part of the success we had over the last couple of years."
Ballard, a 5-10 point guard, was a two-year player at Irvine Valley. He started all 31 games for the Lasers this past season as the Lasers had their best ever season.
The team made its first ever trip to the state tournament, finished second in one of the top conference's in the state and won the second-most games (26-5) in school history.
Irvine Valley was also ranked in the top five in the state for most of the season.
Ballard averaged 5.8 points, 1.6 assists and 1.1 rebounds per game. He scored in double figures in eight contests, including four in a row to start Orange Empire Conference play. His top-scoring game was 16 points in a 89-82 loss to Cypress on Jan. 6. Ballard had a season-best six assists in a 66-55 win over Santa Ana on Feb. 10.
Ballard played in all 31 of Irvine Valley's games during the 2008-09 season and averaged 2.9 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists Ballard was a standout player at Canyon Springs High in Moreno Valley before coming to Irvine Valley. He was named all-Inland Valley League as both a junior and senior and helped Canyon Springs reach the CIF semifinals as a senior.
Ballard is heading to a Jackson State team that finished with a record of 19-13 last season. The Tigers made the NIT Tournament where they lost in the first round to Mississippi State.
Jackson State competes in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
 
5/6/2010  Carrier signs with Eastern New Mexico
Men's basketball player signs with Eastern New Mexico Irvine Valley sophomore men's basketball player Max Carrier has signed with Division II Eastern New Mexico, according to Laser Coach Jerry Hernandez.
Carrier, a 6-7 post player, was selected at Irvine Valley's most valuable player this past season and earned honorable mention all-Orange Empire Conference honors.
He averaged 10.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals per game. Carrier also shot 53.6 percent from the field.
Eastern New Mexico finished with a record of 10-16 overall this past season.
"We are extremely excited to have Max as a Greyhound," said Eastern New Mexico Coach Andrew Helton. "He will fill a huge need on our team. He is a physical, skilled inside player who was a key player on a very good team at Irvine Valley College."
Carrier helped lead one of the best ever teams at IVC. The team made its first ever trip to the state tournament, finished second in one of the top conference's in the state and won the second-most games (26-5) in school history.
Irvine Valley was also ranked in the top five in the state for most of the season.
Prior to IVC, Carrier played for one season at perennial NJCAA powerhouse The College of Southern Idaho. While playing for the Golden Eagles, he shot 63.4 percent from the floor and guided the team to a 22-9 overall record.
Carrier prepped at Rancho Verde High and garnered all-league, all-Riverside County and all-CIF honors his senior year after helping lead the Mustangs to a CIF-IIA title in 2008.
 
3/15/2010  Lasers fall in first round of state tourney
The Irvine Valley men's basketball team's stay in the 2010 California Community College Athletic Association Championships at Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks wasn't as long as it hoped.
The Lasers  dropped their first-round game at the state event to the City College of San Francisco, 70-64, and ended up finishing tied for fifth.
Sophomore guard Durrell Norman finished with 10 points and freshman forawrd Travis Fulton contributed 11 points, eight rebounds and four assists for the Lasers.
"Today is disappointing," IVC Coach Jerry Hernandez said right after the game. "But we had such a great season. We were really under the radar at the beginning of the year. We lost some key players from last year so expectations weren't that high. We only had two players coming back. So to climb our way to the position we were in (at state) was gratifying. We had good chemistry, good camaraderie and good intelligence all year."
Irvine Valley finished the season with a record of 26-5, which was only one win away from the school record. And the Lasers were ranked as high as No. 2 in the state this past season.
Hernandez hopes to get another shot at the state event, possibly next year with a team that will feature a number of returning players.
"We should have high aspirations for our program," Hernandez said. "The bar will be a little higher."
 
3/6/2010  Basketball team headed to state
It has taken 18 years, but the Irvine Valley men's basketball team earned its first ever state championships berth.
The Lasers, seeded fourth defeated No. 5 Mt. San Antonio, 72-71, in overtime in a CCCAA Southern Regional Playoff Final Saturday night at IVC to advance.
The team will start play in the CCCAA State Championships Friday, March 12, at Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.
Official pairings for the state tournament will be listed on Sunday. But with No. 3 Riverside's loss to Saddleback in overtime in a regional final on Saturday, IVC will move up to the third seed and if pairings hold up should play the No. 2 team from Northern California on Friday at 1 p.m.
Saturday's game at Irvine Valley was back and forth throughout. There were nine lead changes and 11 ties in the contest.
And it went down to the wire in both regulation and overtime.
IVC freshman forward Joe Eberhard made a runner in the lane with 31 seconds left in regulation to tie it 65-65. Mt. SAC's Antonio Biglow missed a deep three-pointer at the end of regulation and the teams went to overtime.
Irvine Valley (26-4) scored the first four points of overtime and then barely held on to beat the Mounties (25-5).
The Lasers had a 72-69 lead with 19 seconds left after Eberhard made 1 of 2 free throws. Biglow got in the lane and scored on a lay-up with six seconds left to make it 72-71.
Mt. SAC called a timeout to set up its defense. And Irvine Valley sophomore forward Max Carrier got called for a 5-count on the ensuing in bounds play.
Biglow missed another deep three-pointer as time expired.
Biglow, who was averaging 20.9 points per game, finished with 28 points. He was 8 of 29 from the field and 3 of 12 from three-point range. Biglow added four assists and five steals in 40 minutes.
Laquenten Jones had 15 points and six steals for Mt. SAC.
IVC was led by freshman forward Travis Fulton with 22 points and 12 rebounds in 43 tough minutes and sophomore guard/forward Durrell Norman, who had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Norman did commit nine turnovers.
Eberhard added 16 points and seven rebounds.
The teams combined for 48 turnovers (28 for IVC) and 52 fouls in the game.
IVC shot 47.5 percent (29 of 61) as a team from the field, while Mt. SAC was 21 of 66 for 31.8 percent.
Mt. SAC was just 3 of 17 from three-point range (17.6 percent) and made 26 of 37 free throws (70.3 percent). IVC was just 2 of 15 from three-point range (13.3 percent) and 12 of 22 (54.5 percent) from the free throw line.
Irvine Valley out-scored Mt. SAC in the paint, 54-30.  
 
2/18/2010  Basketball team closer to conference title

The Irvine Valley men's basketball team was in position to capture its first Orange Empire Conference title in more than a decade after taking care of Fullerton, 73-54, Wednesday night at home.
The Lasers improved their record to 24-3 overall and 9-2 in conference. Irvine Valley and Riverside both had just two losses in conference after Wednesday night.
Irvine Valley plays at Saddleback Friday night with a win clinching a share of the title. With that would come a top seed in the Southern California Regional playoffs, which start next weekend.
"We will have to beat Saddleback for a third time and we know that is going to be tough," Hernandez said. "But this team has been very poised and doesn't get too rattled. We have to look at it as another game on our schedule. We are going down there to try and win a conference title."
Irvine Valley's last and only conference title came in the 1996-97 season in Hernandez's second season as coach.
"We've had a lot of seconds and thirds in the past," Hernandez said. "Saddleback and Riverside have kind of dominated this conference. We hope this is our year to change that a little bit."
Irvine Valley, which is ranked 11th in the state, came out firing against Fullerton, playing one of its best halves of the season. IVC led, 38-18, at the end of the first half. The Lasers shot 50 percent (14 of 28) in the opening half. Fullerton shot just 29.2 percent (7 of 24) and the Lasers beat the Hornets on the boards, 26-10, in the opening 20 minutes.
"I was encouraged we got off to a good start," Hernandez said. "I was afraid we would have trouble keeping our focus because everyone is excited about the Saddleback game. We were able to get out and then hold the lead. And we didn't have to play too many guys too many minutes."
IVC's largest lead was 24 points early in the second half.
Fullerton made one run in the second half, but the lead never got under 13 points.
Irvine Valley ended up shooting 48.1 percent (26 of 54) for the game and out-rebounded Fullerton, 44-38. The one blemish on the stat sheet for the Lasers came at the free throw line where IVC shot just 50.0 percent (15 of 30).
The Lasers got a balanced scoring attack with seven players scoring at least six points.
Sophomore forward Max Carrier had 16 points, four rebounds, three assists and three blocks. Sophomore guard/forward Durrell Norman added 13 points and five rebounds, freshman forward Travis Fulton contributed 10 points, four rebounds and five assists and freshman forward Joe Eberhard ended up with nine points and four assists.
IVC had 21 assists on its 26 baskets and committed only 11 turnovers.
"I thought some of our subs, especially Sean Donovan (six points), did a great job," Hernandez said. "And I thought our team defense was really good. We did a good job of challenging shooters and forcing bad shots. And I was pleased with our passing and taking care of the ball. That is how you win."
 
1/3/2010  Lasers ready for start of conference
Irvine Valley men's basketball coach Jerry Hernandez knew he had a talented, hard-working group of players heading into the 2009-10 season.
But Hernandez never imagined that 16 games in his team would have won three tournaments, run up a record of 15-1, be ranked No. 2 in the state and No. 1 in Southern California.
Heading into Orange Empire Conference play, Irvine Valley has already matched its win total from the 2008-09 season when it went 14-17.
The Lasers are picked as the favorite along with Riverside and Saddleback to win a conference title.
"My first thought in why we are doing so well is that we have guys that are versatile," said Hernandez, who is in his 15th year of guiding Irvine Valley. "They are really interchangeable. All of our kids are so skilled. They can all shoot it and dribble it and pass it and rebound. That has a lot to do with our success.
"We also have depth. And I think best of all is that we have great character. Nobody has questioned anything. No one has squabbled about shot attempts or minutes. No one is checking the box scores."
Irvine Valley's best three-game stretch of the season came in December at the Saddleback tournament.
IVC defeated three of the top-ranked teams in the state, Trade Tech, San Bernardino Valley and Saddleback to win that title and improve to 14-1.
The Lasers are led by sophomore forward Max Carrier, freshman guard Durrell Norman, freshman forwards Joe Eberhard and Travis Fulton and sophomore guard Travis Ballard.
"We thought we would be good, we just didn't know to what degree," Hernandez said. "Now I think we are one of about a dozen teams that could win the state championship."
 
11/20/2009  Lasers rout Canyons in first round of Classic
The Irvine Valley men's basketball team was up to the challenge of its biggest test so far this season in the first round of its own Irvine Valley Classic.
The Lasers, ranked 10th in Southern California and 18th in the state, dominated College of the Canyons, 72-52, Thursday night at Irvine Valley.
Both teams were undefeated with records of 3-0 heading into the game.
Canyons was ranked 15th in Southern California.
"Our shot selection and ball movement was the best its been in four games," Irvine Valley Coach Jerry Hernandez said. "And I was real pleased with our preparation defensively. We really challenged their shooters and contained their drivers."
Irvine Valley played its best basketball of the season in the first half against Canyons.
Canyons scored the first basket of the game. Then the Lasers scored the next 12 points in a row. Sophomore forward Max Carrier made a jumper, sophomore forward Durrell Norman had a steal and a layup, Norman drilled a jumper, freshman forward Joe Eberhard made two free throws, Norman had another steal and a layup and a layup by Carrier capped the run.
IVC led, 12-2, just three minutes into the contest.
The Lasers continued to increase their lead. A jumper by freshman point guard Christian Mack made it 19-5 with 14:38 left in the half.
And a three-pointer by sophomore guard Andrew Arnold gave IVC a 22-8 lead with 13:53 to go.
IVC stretched it to a 20-point lead at 33-13 when Eberhard made a layup with 6:10 to go in the opening half.
A 5-0 run toward the end of the half pushed IVC's advantage to its largest of the game at 40-15.
Irvine Valley led 44-21 after two free throws by guard Isac Stalzer with 46 seconds to play in the half.
The Lasers shot 55.2 percent (16 of 29) in the opening half and limited Canyons to just 33.3 percent (7 of 21).
Irvine Valley was never threatened in the second half and cruised to the victory.
For the game, the Lasers shot 49.1 percent (27 of 55) to Canyons' 38.5 percent (20 of 52). Irvine Valley also had 20 assists on its 27 baskets and committed just 10 turnovers in the game.
Carrier led the way with 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists, four blocks and two steals.
Eberhard had 13 points, six rebounds and three assists, Norman added 11 points and four steals and freshman forward Travis Fulton and Mack each contributed eight points in the victory.
"I am really pleased so far with the attitude and dedication of this team," Hernandez said. "The players are competing hard and trusting each other out there. It has been great."
The Irvine Valley Classic wraps up on Saturday with games at 12 p.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.