Preview: Undefeated Santa Ana Faces Struggling Grossmont in Junior College Men’s Basketball

EL CAJON, Calif. (Interstat) — A stark contrast in fortunes will be on display Saturday when the unbeaten Santa Ana Dons visit the struggling Grossmont Griffins in a California community college men’s basketball matchup.

Santa Ana (10-0) enters riding a perfect record, having dispatched opponents by an average margin of 15.3 points. The Dons are coming off a 73-57 road victory over Los Angeles Harbor on Wednesday, where guard Aaron De Santiago scored 20 points. De Santiago has been a consistent offensive force, averaging over 18 points per game in his last three contests.

Grossmont (1-8) seeks to halt a seven-game skid. The Griffins fell 91-77 at Rio Hondo on Wednesday despite a standout performance from forward Hamad Elhamad, who posted 15 points and 15 rebounds. Elhamad has been a bright spot, recording double-doubles in two of his last four games.

The Dons’ success has been built on balance. In their latest win, Christian Jimenez dished out 10 assists and Illinois Bidima Jemminez added seven rebounds and four blocks alongside De Santiago’s scoring. Santa Ana’s schedule shows no prior meeting with Grossmont this season.

The Griffins’ lone victory came against El Camino on Nov. 19. Their losses include several narrow defeats, including a 102-100 overtime setback at Desert on Dec. 2, suggesting an ability to compete offensively.

A statistical projection from Interstat forecasts a 100-100 tie, indicating a potentially high-scoring affair that contradicts the teams’ records.

Saturday’s game is scheduled for Dec. 13 at Grossmont College. Santa Ana’s next game is Dec. 17 against Los Angeles City. Grossmont travels to San Diego City on Dec. 17.