Pirates wear down Gauchos

COSTA MESA — Perhaps more important than the championship plaque that came with the 73-49 victory in the title game of the Coast Christmas Classic Sunday, the host Orange Coast College women’s basketball team captured Orange Empire Conference rival Saddleback’s will to compete.

The turning point, just more than 13 minutes in, was sudden, shocking and undeniable. And it pretty much ruined what, to that point, was shaping up to the kind of game that OCC Coach Mike Thornton expected.

“I thought it would be playoff-type intensity,” said Thornton, who speculated that the third game in three days may have left both teams unable to put forth that type of effort.

“Saddleback had and up-and-down game with College of the Canyons [Saturday] night and we had an intense [semifinal Saturday night] against Cerritos,” Thornton said. “But we responded better. We were behind, early, but once we got the lead, I think we were able to discourage them.”

OCC sophomore center Brittany Taylor had a less-diplomatic way to describe what occurred soon after the Pirates (14-1), ranked No. 2 in Southern California and No. 5 in the state, began a 17-0 run to finish the first half and turn a 30-29 deficit into a 46-30 intermission lead.

“Late in the first half, I thought [the Gauchos] just gave up,” said Taylor, who had eight of her 12 points in the opening half and finished six of eight from the field on her way to all-tournament honors.

The scoring drought for Saddleback (9-1), ranked No. 4 in Southern California and No. 9 in the state, continued into the second half, until a layup by Joy Mason with 17:27 left in the game gave the visitors their first points in a span of 9:27.

Starting with a Mason three-pointer that put the Gauchos up, 30-29, Saddleback managed just nine points in the next 22:48, during which time OCC scored 39, capped by two free throws with 4:43 left by tournament MVP Courtney Ford, who then exited the game for good.

Ford, who averaged 24.5 points in her first two tournament games, finished with a game-high 18 points, while also leading all players with 10 rebounds. The reigning Orange Empire Conference Player of the Year, who has signed with Mercer, had 12 points and eight rebounds in the first half.

Ford is now eight points shy of 1,000 in her OCC career. With 17 regular-season games remaining, Ford is just 139 points away from topping Lisa Schumaker atop the program’s career points list. Schumaker scored 1,130 points from 1985 through 1987.

Sophomore point guard Rachael Maulit had nine points, seven assists and six steals to become the third all-tournament honoree from OCC. She now has 300 career assists, third-most in school annals. She is 29 away from topping Stacy Giem (1990-92) for second. Flo Luppani, now the coach at Santa Ana, is first with 454 from 1993-95.

Saddleback finished 19 of 61 from the field (31.1%), seven of 32 from three-point range (21.9%) and committed 25 turnovers.

OCC, which was a modest 23 of 59 from the field (39%), had 18 turnovers and won the rebounding battle, 48-43.

The Pirates also seemed to beat the Gauchos to most loose balls.

“We have to play that way,” said Thornton, whose tallest starter is the 5-foot-10 Taylor.

OCC also executed, offensively, against Saddleback’s man-to-man, frequently driving the lane and either kicking out, scoring or being fouled. The Pirates netted 20 of 29 free throws, including 10 of 15 by Ford.

Saddleback made just four of eight from the foul line.

It was the 11th straight win for OCC, and it was the Pirates’ second Coast Christmas Classic crown in three years. Thornton, in his 19th season, has guided the Pirates to their own tournament title six times in the last 10 seasons and seven times in the event’s 17 years.

Sophomore guard Cassie Klockgether (10 points) and 6-3 sophomore center Rekeshia Jones (nine points and a team-best nine rebounds) represented the Gauchos on the all-tournament team.

OCC plays Saddleback at home Jan. 25 and on the road Feb. 20 in conference play.

Thornton said he expects a better fight both times.

“The year we won state (2002-03), we beat Saddleback by 20 in this tournament and then went to their place [in conference] and lost by 30,” Thornton said.

Coast Christmas Classic

Final Orange Coast 73, Saddleback 49

Sad – Mason 8, Paopao 5, Jones 9, Klockgether 10, Chacon 8, Douglass 7, Kaleopa 2.

3-pt. goals – Chacon 2, Klockgether 2, Douglass 1, Paopao 1, Mason 1.

OCC – Ford 18, Ibbotson 4, Taylor 12, Maulit 9, Kissee 4, Gomez 9, Barney 7, Schmidt 5, Shires 3, Wakamiya 2.

3-pt. goals – Ford 2, Gomez 2, Schmidt 1, Barney 1, Shires 1.

Fouled out - None.

Halftime – OCC, 46-30.

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at barry.faulkner@latimes.com.