Women’s basketball: OCC notches 15th straight

Tony Altobelli

Costa Mesa - It’s never an easy game against Golden West College

for Orange Coast’s women’s basketball team. Just ask Coach Mike Thornton.

“Because it’s Golden West,” Thornton said of OCC’s shooting woes in

Wednesday’s 58-49 Orange Empire Conference win over the Rustlers. “I’ve

been trying to figure out why for the past 11 years. I’m geting tired of

trying.”

Whatever voodoo Golden West casts on the Pirates, it wasn’t enough to

prevent them from their 15th win in a row, tying the 1992-93 squad for

longest winning streak in school history.

The Pirates shot a woeful 24% from the field, but were saved at the

free-throw line, outscoring the Rustlers, 23-8.

“I try to tell my players to relax and to let the game come to them,

but when we play Golden West, something happens,” Thornton said. “The way

we played in the first half, I thought we should have been down by 20.”

Lucky for the Pirates (17-1, 1-0 in OEC) Golden West shot only 33%

from the field, including 9 for 35 in the first half, keeping the game

close.

Karyn Fierst and Melissa Lewis led the Pirates’ “attack.” Fierst had

14 points, while Lewis added 10 second-half points, including 8 for 8

from the charity stripe.

Golden West (13-3, 0-1) led, 24-23, at half and 45-40, with eight

minutes remaining, before OCC finally got something going.

The Bucs outscored the Rustlers, 19-3, in those final eight minutes to

pull out the win.

Fierst’s three-pointer with six minutes left gave OCC the lead for

good.

Leah Wilde added 11 points, while Sarah Middlebrooke, hobbled with a

twisted ankle sustained early in the first half, came back and scored 10

for OCC.

The Pirates continue OEC play at home against Cypress Friday at 7:30

p.m.