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.