Pirates hold on for 11th straight win, 71-62 over Vikings

COSTA MESA -- It's been an incredible start to the 2022-23 season for the Orange Coast College women's basketball team and on Tuesday, the fun continued as the Pirates improved to 11-0 on the season with a 71-62 nonconference win over visiting Long Beach City College.

The Pirates, ranked No. 2 in Southern California and No. 3 in the state, were led by Gabby Samiy, who had 28 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks and three steals. Meghan McIntyre had another solid all-around game with 22 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and four steals, while Annie Trinh added 13 points and four assists. Against a bigger and more aggressive LBCC Vikings squad, Savannah Seiler overcame a rough shooting night with a team-best 11 rebounds as the Pirates overcame a MONSTER night from Vikings forward Aaliyah Carter, who led the guests with 28 points and 26 rebounds. 

The last OCC squad to start the season 11-0 happened back in the 1992-93 season, when the Pirates ripped off 15 straight to start that campaign.

The Vikings (8-5) -- ranked 13th in the state heading into Tuesday night's game -- led 14-11 after the first quarter and 22-21 with 3 minutes left in the second before the OCC defense clamped down and didn't allow LBCC to score the rest of the half. Five straight points from Samiy pushed OCC back out in front at the break, 26-21.

Coast came out hot in the third quarter and opened the second half with a 19-9 run to grab a 45-30 lead with 5:22 left in the frame. Three-pointers by Trinh (2), Samiy and McIntyre helped push Coast to a comfortable lead, but the Vikings would answer back. 

Over the next four minutes, Long Beach would score the next 14 points to get back to within a point at 45-44. But Coast never allowed the Vikings to get even or take the lead the rest of the night and the Pirates carried a 50-46 advantage into the fourth quarter.

Early in the fourth, Long Beach again crept to within a point at 57-56, before the Pirates pulled away for good with an 11-0 run over the next five minutes of play and led 68-56 with under a minute remaining. Long Beach banged in a trio of 3-pointers to get closer, but the lead was never in doubt the rest of the night.

OCC will return to action on Thursday against Southwestern College at the San Diego City College Tournament, beginning at 5 p.m.