Women’s basketball: Pirates win in first home game
Steve Virgen
COSTA MESA - The first 10 minutes proved crucial for the Orange
Coast College women’s basketball team Friday afternoon in nonconference
play. During that time, the Pirates displayed their best shooting this
season, according to Coach Mike Thornton.
OCC built a 20-6 lead in the first 10 minutes and held on for a 60-55
victory over visiting El Camino.
“We ran our offense better than we did last weekend,” Thornton said.
“We got more easy scoring opportunities, but we didn’t finish them off
well enough.”
The Pirates hit four three-pointers in the 20-6 run as Kiersten
Melville (13 points), Karyn Fierst (7), Kristen Urban (15) and Janette
Redmond (7) hit consecutively from long distance to turn a 4-3 lead into
a 16-6 advantage as the Pirates held their lead throughout.
OCC (2-2) had only made eight three-pointers this season and finished
4 for 18 from behind the arc.
Urban, a Newport Harbor High product, led the Pirates with 15 points.
She also grabbed seven rebounds.
“We started running our offense and setting screens,” Urban said of
the first 10 minutes. “It was nice to have some home court advantage and
get up and down the floor.”
OCC’s Nadia Mojica was getting up and down the floor. She led the
Pirates with 15 rebounds, but OCC was still outrebounded, 56-45. Mojica
scored 10 points as well.
The Warriors tried to come back in the second half. They went on a
12-6 run in five minutes to cut the lead to 38-34 with 11 minutes
remaining.
El Camino actually earned the bonus with 10:26 left as OCC continued
to foul to the end and the Warriors went 9 for15 from the free throw line
in that span.
El Camino kept coming at OCC with Tiffany Servio, who finished with 23
points and 17 rebounds, both game-highs. The Warriors cut OCC’s lead to
54-49 with 1:49 remaining, but Fierst sank four of six free throws in the
final minute to keep the Pirates ahead.
“We made it a closer than it should’ve been,” Thornton said.
Last week, OCC went 1-2 at the Chaffey College Tournament.
The Pirates play next at Southwestern on Tuesday in a nonconference
game, starting at 6 p.m.
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