RIVERSIDE, Calif. (Interstat) — In a defensive struggle defined by missed opportunities, the Santa Ana Dons escaped with a narrow 64-62 victory over the Riverside Tigers in a California Community College Athletic Association men’s basketball game Wednesday night.

The contest, a low-efficiency affair for both sides, was decided in the final seconds. With the score tied at 60, Santa Ana’s Aaron De Santiago sank two critical free throws with 52 seconds remaining to give the Dons a lead they would not relinquish. Riverside had a chance to tie or take the lead on its ensuing possession but came up empty. The Tigers’ Reggie Caldwell was then fouled as time expired and made both free throws, but they only served to cut the final margin to two points.

The most important sequence of the game occurred in the final minute of a tightly contested second half. After Riverside’s Tylon Williams made a layup to give the Tigers a 60-57 lead with 1:27 to play, Santa Ana responded immediately. De Santiago, who led all scorers with 14 points, hit a clutch 3-pointer to tie the game at 60 with 2:01 left. Following a Riverside turnover and a Santa Ana miss, the Dons’ defense forced a difficult shot from Riverside’s Kollen Murphy. Santa Ana secured the rebound, leading to the decisive foul on De Santiago.

Neither team shot well. Santa Ana finished 23 for 63 from the floor, a 36.5% rate, while Riverside was worse at 22 for 68, just 32.4%. The Dons found a slight edge from beyond the arc, making 6 of 15 attempts compared to Riverside’s 4-for-19 performance. Both teams struggled at the free-throw line; Santa Ana made 12 of 19 and Riverside 14 of 24.

Santa Ana’s top star, Illinois Bidima Jemminez, posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds in 25 minutes, adding two blocks. His interior presence helped the Dons to a 50-46 rebounding advantage. Christien Jimenez facilitated the offense with a game-high eight assists over 40 minutes.

For Riverside, PJ Pounds anchored the defense with 14 rebounds and four blocks to go with 10 points. Tylon Williams led the Tigers with 11 points, and Caldwell came off the bench to add 11.

Turnovers plagued Santa Ana, which committed 21, leading to 12 Riverside steals. The Tigers, however, could not capitalize sufficiently, scoring just 62 points on 79 possessions for an offensive rating of 78.1. Santa Ana was marginally better at 81.0.

The win improved Santa Ana’s season record to 16-2, solidifying its strong standing. Riverside fell to 10-8 with the hard-fought loss. The two teams are scheduled to meet again in Santa Ana on Feb. 12.

Santa Ana travels to face Irvine Valley on Friday. Riverside will visit Cypress, also on Friday.