Community college women’s basketball: No looking back for Bucs

Steve Virgen

VALLEY GLEN - As the Orange Coast College women’s basketball team

travels to Los Angeles Valley College tonight for a third round game of

the Southern California Regional playoffs, the Pirates are hoping they

leave at least one thing behind: their past.

Though the Pirates (25-8) are one win away from reaching the state’s

final eight (quarterfinals) in Stockton, they have posted two subpar

performance in the playoffs.

“I still think we have our best game ahead of us and hopefully that

starts tonight,” said Coach Mike Thornton, whose Pirates will begin play

at 7. “Can we win? Yes we can. (L.A. Valley is) talented and big. I think

we play harder. But we can’t win if we shoot 30%. Those days are over.

And, they made 20 of 27 free throws (Tuesday against Chaffey), so we

can’t foul them.”

The Monarchs (29-5), the No. 3 seed of the South, earned a first-round

bye and defeated visiting Chaffey, 63-56, in the second round Tuesday.

Sophomore guard Markia Derby, who averaged a team-high 19.8 points per

game during the regular season, led L.A. Valley with 27 points.

Liliana Ramirez, a 6-foot-4 sophomore center, is another reason the

Monarchs won the Western State South Conference this season under the

guidance of second-year coach Mike Muro.

Tricia Ewels, a sophomore point guard, runs the inside-game offense,

while 5-11 freshman forward Richelle Sherman and 6-3 sophomore forward

Michelle Duncan round out the starting five.

In regard to common opponents, the Pirates, the No. 6 seed of the

South, defeated Chaffey, 64-41, Dec. 28. Coast has advanced to the “Final

Eight” three times in the past 10 years, and its last appearance was in

1998.

OCC team captain Kyra Melville (11.9 ppg), a sophomore forward, scored

a game-high 19 points and led the Pirates to a 58-53 win over visiting

Palomar Tuesday. Freshman point guard Nancy Hatsushi (9.8 ppg), who

earned All-Orange Empire Conference laurels with Melville, guides the

offense and is a threat from outside, while freshman guard Lindsey

Galasso (8.5 ppg) is also a sharp-shooter. Freshman Candice Quiroz and

5-10 freshman center Charlenda Van Buren contribute as starters, and

freshman forward Liz Mendoza (7.9 ppg) and 6-1 freshman center Lauren

Murray produce strong support in reserve roles.

Coast has not faced L.A. Valley since Dec. 16, 1994, when the Monarchs

won, 81-67.