Orange Coast rested and ready

Bryce Alderton

A 12-day break couldn’t have come at a better time for the Orange

Coast College women’s basketball team according to their leader.

Reeling from two consecutive losses to close out the season, head

coach Mike Thornton said the days off have helped rejuvenate and heal

a team hosting a second round playoff game tonight at 7 in the

Southern California Regional Playoffs.

“We lost the game but played with intensity against Saddleback and

we were flat against Fullerton that Friday,” said Thornton, referring

to Coast’s losses to the Gauchos (64-55) and Hornets (52-49) to close

out the regular season. “We needed the practice time to recuperate

mentally and physically and I think we’ll be in good shape.”

Freshman Alisa Carrillo, who finished second on the team in

scoring at 12.5 points per game to Liz Mendoza’s team-leading 13.5,

missed the final two games with an ankle injury, but should be

healthy for tonight’s game.

Coast, which finished the season 25-7 and ranked No. 8 in the

final state coaches poll, is seeded fourth, and will host Cerritos

(20-11), the 13th seed.

Cerritos beat OCC, 64-44, in November, but Coast was without the

services of starting point guard Nancy Hatsushi, who earned

All-Southern California Region honors last season and first-team

all-conference recognition for the second consecutive year in the

most recent campaign. She led the conference in three-point field

goal shooting (43.2%) and assists (156) while averaging 9.7 points.

“We have come a long way since that time,” Thornton said. “We

haven’t even talked about that game.”

Cerritos sophomore forward Tiffany Amete provides stability

inside, Thornton said, but the talent doesn’t stop there.

“Cerritos is 10 or 11 players deep,” Thornton said. “They shoot

the ball really well and have sound fundamental defense.”

The Falcons are coming off a 20-point win last week against Santa

Monica.

OCC has a defensive presence of its own in sophomore forward

Lauren Murray, who has tallied a team-high 25 blocks with 31 steals

and averages 8.5 points. She also leads the team in rebounding per

game (6.8).

Mendoza also leads the team in steals with 59 in addition to

averaging 5.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists. Sophomore Lindsey Galasso has

made 52 steals to go with 6.4 ppg. Mendoza and Galasso, along with

Hatsushi, all made first- team all-conference

“Galasso is our best defensive player and Liz has stepped up of

late,” Thornton said.

Other Coast players providing valuable minutes include Kirsten Von

Tungeln (4.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg), Amy Shaw (4.4 ppg, 14 steals) and Candice

Quiroz (3.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 26 steals). Jessica Estrada (2.5 ppg, 14

steals), Leigh Marshall (three steals, 1.1 assists per game), Celeste

Haueter (12 steals, 1.0 ppg, 1.2 rpg) and Laura Garnica (four steals)

have given Thornton added options off the bench this season.

One of the team’s goals entering the season, Thornton said, was to

be seeded in the top 4 to earn a home game for the playoffs; mission

accomplished.

Last season, OCC fell to host L.A. Valley, 69-68, in the Southern

California final and finished 25-9.

L.A. Valley’s Markia Darby, who led all scorers with 24 points,

hit a game-winning, five-foot bank-shot with three seconds left to

spoil Coast’s bid for the state tournament.

Hatsushi scored a team-high 20 points, including a 6-of-9 clip

(67%) from three-point range in that game as OCC hit 12 of 20 shots

from beyond the arc (60%). Mendoza scored 17 points off the bench

with three treys.

“All players felt like we should have won that game,” Thornton

said. “We were disappointed.”

Coast lost to Cerritos, 84-80, in the 2000 regional final, the

last time the two teams met in postseason.

“We could come out and lay an egg or we could play well,” Thornton

said. “We seem to have developed a sense of urgency. One or two bad

possessions could make the difference and we realize that in

practice.”