Crunch time comeback ends with Pirates win

Ricks paces the Pirates all game long and McCormick makes huge plays down the stretch in Orange Coast Conference game against Santa Ana.COSTA MESA -- The Santa Ana College women’s basketball team pushed Orange Coast to the limit, but the Pirates responded in crunch time.

Crystal McCormick hit the backbreaking three-pointer and Jillian Ricks iced it by hitting two free throws with six seconds left as Orange Coast edged Santa Ana, 68-63, Wednesday night in an Orange Empire Conference battle.

Santa Ana Coach Flo Luppani, a former Orange Coast star, had her team playing with intensity and with the lead for most of the contest. But the Dons couldn’t hold an eight-point lead with 12 minutes left in the game.

The Pirates, who trailed 35-29 at halftime, started the comeback by going inside to 6-foot-3 center Madison Parks, who scored the team’s first six points in the second half. But Parks (10 points, eight rebounds) committed her third foul with 14:26 left and sat out the next 10 minutes, so the Pirates had to look elsewhere.

The Dons (12-9, 3-2) held an eight-point lead when Teeya Fernandez started the Pirates back on the comeback trail by hitting a 14-foot baseline jumper. Then Fernandez’s steal turned into a layup by McCormick.

Santa Ana star guard Ahkiah Hunter, who was averaging 18.7 points entering the game, committed her fourth foul with 10:49 left, trying to defend McCormick’s drive to the basket. McCormick made the layup and sank the ensuing free throw to pull the Pirates to within one.

Nancy Castro (Estancia High) tied the score for the first time since the opening minutes with a short jump shot.

The score was tied three more times before McCormick nailed a three-pointer to give the Pirates a 64-61 lead with 1:18 left in the game. McCormick finished with 19 points.

“She’s a refuse-to-lose type of a player,” said Orange Coast Coach Mike Thornton. “There have been lots of games this year where she’s making huge plays at the ends of games.”

Soon after, Hunter committed her fifth foul, Orange Coast added some insurance points at the free throw line and Santa Ana missed its desperation threes.

“I knew coming in how tough they would be,” said Thornton, whose team improved to 21-2 overall and 5-0 in the Orange Empire Conference. “Probably with four or five teams in our conference, it could come down to this.”

Ricks led the Pirates with 20 points and 10 rebounds, and was 9 for 9 from the free-throw line.

Santa Ana took a 10-4 lead after Whitney Ligon (12 points) nailed a three-pointer. Amanda Scott knocked down all three of her three-pointers in the first half, the last one giving the Dons a 28-19 lead.

The Pirates responded by attacking the basket. McCormick, Kristen Cabral and Parks all hit layups and Ricks ended the half by knocking down four free throws to pull the Pirates to within six.

Orange Coast committed 12 first-half turnovers, which led to 14 Santa Ana points. The Pirates countered by outrebounding the Dons, 23-12, in the first half. Orange Coast finished with 42 rebounds to Santa Ana’s 32.

It wasn’t the first time Thornton has went head to head coaching against one of his former players, and it probably won’t be the last. He said he was impressed with how Luppani’s team battled.

“She’s doing a great job over there,” Thornton said. “I respected her as a player and now as a coach.”

Luppani played for Orange Coast from 1993 to 1995 and owns the school’s single season and career assists records.

The Pirates, tied for fifth in the California Community College Women’s Basketball Association poll, will try to stay unbeaten in Orange Empire Conference play when they take on Irvine Valley on Friday at Orange Coast College. Tip-off will be at 7:30 p.m.

Orange Coast Conference

Orange Coast 68,

Santa Ana 63

Score by Quarters