Pirates upset Cypress

Bryce Alderton

What the Orange Coast College women’s basketball team lacked in

athleticism it more than made up for in consistency and intensity

against highly touted Cypress Friday night.

And at a most opportune time.

The Pirates played inspired from start to finish of an 84-76

Orange Empire Conference victory over the visiting Chargers, ranked

sixth in the state coaches’ poll entering the week.

The Pirates (16-11, 6-6 in the OEC), who entered the game fifth in

the conference standings, four games behind co-leaders Cypress and

Riverside, bolted to a 26-8 lead within the first 6 minutes, 39

seconds and withstood each push the Chargers (21-5, 9-3) mounted to

snap a two-game losing streak.

Four starters scored in double figures for Coast, including

freshman Crystal McCormick, who hit a season-high 31 points on

10-of-14 shooting. McCormick connected on 5 of 8 three-pointers and

tallied 17 of her 31 points in the first half on 7-of-8 from the

field.

Sophomore Rhondi Naff finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds

while point guard Valerie Katayama added the Pirates’ second

double-double of the game with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

“This has been the best game we’ve played so far,” Katayama said.

“We put it all together and played as a team.”

Katayama said the team gained confidence from a 79-71 loss to

Riverside, ranked fourth in the state, on Wednesday.

“We were ready to play tonight,” said Katayama, who hit three free

throws in the final 21 seconds to help secure the victory.

“The last game against Cypress [a 74-61 loss Jan. 19], we came out with a scared attitude. We knew we were a better team and if we

played hard, we could get the win.

“It also helped we made a few shots.”

The Pirates made 58.1% of their field-goal tries (18 of 31) in the first half, including 6 of 12 from beyond the arc.

“Shooting is a catch-22,” said Pirates’ Coach Mike Thornton, who

also called this the best game Coast has played this year. “You’re

not going to shoot well until you are confident, but you can’t gain

confidence until you sink a few.”

OCC finished 51.7% for the game (31 of 60). The 84 points were

nearly 23 more than the team’s season average.

Cypress Coach Margaret Mohr was surprised Coast jumped to such a

big lead early, but expected the Pirates to come ready.

“[The Pirates] came out harder than we did,” Mohr said. “We didn’t

play with the same intensity as OCC on a consistent basis and lacked

emotional control.”

The Pirates, who only suited seven players, often pushed the ball

quickly in transition, helping position shooters for pull-up jumpers.

The Pirates, meanwhile, held Rosalyn Omoruyi, the conference’s

leading scorer entering the week, to 12 points, almost nine points

below her season average.

Coast never trailed and the game featured only one tie -- at 50-50

following a three-pointer from Cypress’ Mia Seagraves with 14:39 left

in the game.

The Pirates, though, went on a 16-6 run, capped by one of Christen

D’Alessandro’s three three-pointers to up their lead to 66-56 with

8:42 left.

D’Alessandro finished with 15 points and three assists while

Lauren Stepanski added eight points and 11 rebounds for the Pirates,

who moved into a tie with Irvine Valley for fourth place in

conference following Fullerton’s 80-60 victory over the Lasers

Friday.

Orange Empire Conference

Orange Coast 84,

Cypress 76

Cypress -- James 5, Reed 4, Seagraves 15, Imaku 8, Autele 7,

Omoruyi 12, Fakatou 25, Hill 0.

3-pt. goals -- Seagraves 2, Fakatou 2, Imaku 1, Autele 1.

Fouled out -- Omoruyi.

Technicals -- Omoruyi.

Orange Coast -- Stepanski 8, Naff 18, D’Alessandro 15, Katayama

10, McCormick 31, Castro 0, Viloria 2.

3-pt. goals -- McCormick 5, D’Alessandro 3, Katayama 1.

Fouled out -- Stepanski.

Halftime -- Orange Coast, 44-40.