Mission Viejo – The Cypress men's basketball team (7-9, 0-1 OEC) dropped its Orange Empire Conference opener on Wednesday evening, falling to the No. 1 team in the state, Saddleback (18-1, 1-0 OEC)  82-43.

The men had trouble getting baskets to fall as the team shot just 25% for the game, while Saddleback shot 51%. The Chargers were also out-rebounded 55-26. Nolan Kelly led the team in scoring with eight points, while Austin Payne had a team-high seven rebounds.

The Chargers will play their first home game of the 2014-15 season on Friday as they take on Riverside (6-10, 1-0 OEC) at 7:00 pm. The women will also face Riverside on Friday with their game tipping off at 5:00 pm.