COMMUNITY COLLEGE BASKETBALL REGIONALS : Saddleback, Rio Hondo Figure to Match Defenses

Two of the state’s best defensive teams meet at 7 o’clock tonight in the Southern California playoffs when Rio Hondo travels to Saddleback.

Saddleback, the Orange Empire Conference champion, has allowed 67 points per game. Rio Hondo, the fourth-place team from the Foothill Conference, has allowed 70. Saddleback (25-7) is seeded third and Rio Hondo (20-10) is No. 14.

Saddleback will have to contend with Bernard Walker, a 6-foot-2 sophomore forward who averages 24 points and eight rebounds.

Walker scored 25 points and had 11 rebounds when the teams met last season in the first round of the playoffs. The Gauchos won, 70-62.

Saddleback has a balanced offense led by sophomore swingman John Molle, who averages 18 points and five rebounds. Molle and Riverside’s Lou Williams were selected co-most valuable players of the conference.

Antoine Jefferson, a freshman forward, is averaging 16 points and 11 rebounds for Saddleback. Jeff Foster, a sophomore guard, is averaging 12 points and sophomore center Kevin Fricka is averaging 10.

Other playoff games:

Pasadena (14-16) at Cypress (26-8), 7 p.m.--Cypress, the 12th-seeded team, has won eight of its last nine, including a 65-54 victory over Bakersfield in the first round Saturday. Robbie Shelton, a sophomore forward, averages 20 points for the Chargers.

No. 28 Pasadena upset No. 5 Southwestern, 88-70, Saturday.

Rancho Santiago (20-12) at Ventura (33-1), 7:30 p.m.--Rancho Santiago will need its best game of the season to upset Ventura, top-seeded and top-ranked in the state. Rancho Santiago, seeded 17th, is coming off a 103-84 victory over Los Angeles Harbor.

Fullerton (16-17) at MiraCosta (20-8), 7:30 p.m.--Fullerton is playing its best ball of the season and is coming off a stunning upset of No. 2 Cerritos, 78-76. The Hornets, seeded 31st, are led by Bobby Natoya, who averaged 14 points this season but has averaged 24 in the last three games. MiraCosta, the second-place team from the Pacific Coast Conference, is seeded 16th.