Women’s Basketball: Pirates miss chances
This early in the women’s basketball season, young teams are still going through growing pains. Orange Coast College experienced both in its 58-53 loss to Los Angeles Valley to conclude the Orange Coast Crossover tournament on Friday at OCC.
The pains were likely more resonant than the growth in the aftermath of an unusual game in which neither team seemed capable of closing the deal.
OCC (2-2) incurred an 11-point halftime deficit, spurred by the Monarchs’ 17-3 run late in the second quarter.
But Coach Mike Thornton’s Pirates produced a 14-0 surge of their own in the third quarter and eventually pulled ahead, 49-48, with 8:18 left in the game.
But from that point on, OCC made just one field goal and one free throw to allow the visitors (1-1) to even their record.
OCC made just two of 17 field-goal attempts in the final quarter (11.8%) to wind up at 28.8% for the game (17 for 59). The Pirates made just six of 22 attempts inside the three-point line, as their 11 three-pointers (in 37 attempts), accounted for just more than 62% of their points.
OCC missed its final five shots from the field and was one for six from the foul line in the final 2:46, after a three-pointer by freshman point guard Chyann Pendergrass pulled the hosts within 53-52.
LA Valley used a 49-30 rebounding advantage to overcome a 20-7 turnover deficit, as OCC’s half-court trap was problematic for the visitors.
But OCC simply could not make a shot, or a free throw, when the game was within reach, which was most of the final quarter.
The lead changed nine times, but the Monarchs led the final 7:29.
In the middle of two missed foul shots by the Monarchs with 31 seconds left, LA Valley created a technical foul when a substitute ran onto the court without being waved into the game by officials.
OCC would have knotted the score by converting, but freshman sharpshooter Michelle Wang, who netted four of nine from threedom to lead the Pirates with 15 points, missed both technical foul shots.
Another Monarchs’ foul with 15 seconds left put freshman forward Jenna Rodriguez on the line with another chance to tie, but she missed both times.
LA Valley made three of its final four free throws to close it out.
“I was really happy with the way we came back,” Thornton said. “We’re young and we’re not very athletic. But we have some good leadership and we have some competitors. We’re not greatly talented, but we can compete.
“We had that lull in the second quarter [the aforementioned 17-3 Valley run] and when we look back, that cost us the game. We have to learn how to play every possession, because teams that can learn that and concentrate on that, are the ones that get better at the end of the season.”
Freshman Sarah Nunes had three three-pointers during OCC’s 14-0 third-quarter blitz and finished with 11 points. She also matched sophomore Sami Little with a team-best three steals, and produced two assists and one block.
Rodriguez had a team-best eight rebounds, while Pendergrass paced the Pirates with four assists.
Valley was led by powerful 5-9 forward Adaora Obi, who made six of 11 field-goal tries on her way to a game-high 19 points. Obi also matched teammate Diamond O’Connor with a game-best seven boards.
O’Connor and fellow reserve Diana Duenas (three three-pointers) had nine points to help Valley post a 32-6 advantage in bench scoring.
“We played a very athletic team tonight,” Thornton said.
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OCC Crossover
Los Angeles Valley 58, Orange Coast 53
SCORE BY QUARTERS
LAV 17 – 22 – 9 – 10 – 58
OCC 16 – 12 – 16 – 9 – 53
LAV – Obi 19, Flores 0, Moreno 3, De. Sokolgz 2, Ealy 2, Duenas 9, O’Connor 9, Miller 6, Abernathy 5, Davis 3.
3-pt. goals – Duenas 3, Miller 2, Moreno, 1.
Fouled out – Obi.
Technicals – Team 1.
OCC – Rodriguez 8, Nunes 11, Wu 15, Little 7, Pendergrass 6, Lewis 3, Miramontez 3.
3-pt. goals – Wu 4, Nunes 3, Little 1, Pendergrass 1, Lewis 1, Miramontez 1.
Fouled out – None.
Technicals – None.
