Women’s Basketball: OCC deadly from distance

Orange Coast College women’s basketball is not a good three-point shooting team. But the Pirates played like one in their own tournament on Thursday.

Entering the game shooting 24.7% from three-point range in their first nine games, the host Pirates made five of seven in the second half on their way to a 72-67 triumph over Southwestern in the opening round of the Erin Tomlinson Coast Christmas Classic at OCC.

Coach Mike Thornton’s squad (3-7), finished eight of 19 from threedom (a season-best 42.1%). The damage from distance was particularly apparent during a stretch of nearly six minutes that featured five Pirates’ three-pointers to help create a 64-51 cushion with 4:30 remaining.

The Jaguars rallied for a 14-4 spurt to close within 68-65 with 22 seconds left, but OCC freshman reserve Danielle Obong made four straight free throws in the final 19 seconds to help the Pirates advance to Friday’s semifinals against Orange Empire Conference rival Irvine Valley at 7 p.m.

Obong, a Costa Mesa High product, had back-to-back three balls during the aforementioned sharpshooting spree, on her way to 11 points to go with a team-best five assists in 19 minutes. Obong was two for three from the field (all beyond the arc) and five for six from the foul line. She produced all of her scoring after halftime.

Sophomore Jasmine Matar topped the stat sheet for the hosts, posting 18 points and 13 rebounds. But she was just six for 23 from the field and four of eight from the line in one of her less-efficient efforts of the season.

Another unsung standout for the winners was freshman Briana Gonzales, who was four for six from the field before intermission to produce 10 of her 12 points. She collected seven rebounds and shared the team lead with three steals.

Sophomore Nicole Beaudoin, a bounce-back from San Diego Christian, had 16 points, four rebounds, two steals and two assists, and was four for eight from three-point range.

Beaudoin began the second-half hot streak for OCC by connecting on a three-pointer with 10:18 left. She also finalized the outside outburst 5:42 later.

“We did everything we could to give that one away,” Thornton said. “But Obong did a great job, making threes and her free throws, and Gonzales played hard and made some nice drives to the basket in the first half.”

The Pirates seized a 13-4 lead, including two three-pointers by Beaudoin, but Southwestern eventually bounced back to claim its only lead of the game at 21-20, with 5:54 left in the opening half.

But OCC trailed for only 35 seconds, as a pair of Matar free throws began a 6-0 run, all from the foul line, to help OCC reestablish control.

Gonzales finished five for eight from the field and two for two from the foul line, though OCC netted just 18 of 27 free-throw attempts (66.7%).

But the Pirates wound up eight for 19 from three-point range to easily better their previous-best perimeter-shooting performance.

OCC has shot better than 30% only three times, with a best of 36.8%. Three times it has posted a three-point percentage in the teens, with a low of 16.7% in a loss just one week prior.

OCC was 13 for 25 from the field in the second half (52%) to finish at 39.7% for the game, just off the pace of the Jaguars (40%).

Southwestern post Chelsea Ball was nine for 10 from the field to help her team avert a frigid shooting performance.

The two starting guards for Southwestern were a combined eight for 28 (a chilly 28.5%) and sophomore Sam Silva missed 13 of her first 14 attempts, before netting a couple three-pointers on her way to finishing three for 16 from the field (18.8%).

“We knew they weren’t a good outside shooting team,” said Thornton, whose squad snapped a three-game losing skid.

The Pirates won the rebounding battle, 48-42, to help overcome a 13-11 deficit in the turnover department.

OCC also received a boost from freshman Deanna Fink, who came off the bench to chip in eight points, five rebounds and three assists in 20 minutes.

Ball, who was just eight for 15 from the foul line (the rest of the team made just one of six free-throw attempts) to make them nine for 21 for the game (42.9%), finished with 26 points and seven rebounds.

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Erin Tomlinson Coast Christmas Classic

Orange Coast 72, Southwestern 67

SCC – Wolfblack 10, Davis 6, Ball 26, Smalley 10, Silva 9, Flynn 6.

3-pt. goals – Silva 3, Flynn 2, Wolfblack 1.

Fouled out – Silva.

Technicals – None.

OCC – Mayott 6, Andrade 1, Matar 18, Beaudoin 16, Gonzales 12, Obong 11, Fink 8.

3-pt. goals – Beaudoin 4, Matar 2, Obong 2.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.

Halftime – 31-24, OCC.