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- Year:
- 2004-2006
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- Sports Played:
- Men's Basketball Athlete
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- Induction Year:
- 2024
Bio
Don’t let the 6’0, 180-pound frame fool you … Lance Ortiz had the heart of a 7-footer as a two-year standout for the OCC Pirate men’s basketball team. As a freshman, Ortiz earned first-team, All-Orange Empire Conference honors after leading the Pirates in scoring (14.5 points per game) and also dished out 95 assists while shooting .464 from the field and 74% from the free-throw line. He led the team in scoring 14 times his freshman season, including a 31-point performance against OEC rival, Fullerton College. It was another steady performance for Ortiz as a sophomore, leading the Pirates to the playoffs with a 22-11 overall record and a 9-3 mark in the OEC. Ortiz again led the way in scoring at 13.2 points per game and 171 assists, while hitting a remarkable 141-178 (.792) from the free-throw line. He notched a career-high 39 points against Imperial Valley, the eighth-most for a Pirate in one game. After Coast, Ortiz earned a spot on the Cal State San Bernardino basketball roster and as a senior, he was an integral part of the Coyotes’ “monster” defense and aggressive offensive play that enabled the team to post a 26-6 record and win a regional title and advance to the Final Four. He was second in assists (83) and second in steals with 53 on a team that was the nation’s best at pilfering the ball. After that, Ortiz played professional basketball in Mexico in the LNBP (Liga Nacional Baloncesto Profesional) from 2008-13, where he averaged 7.6 points and 6.2 assists per game for 3 ½ seasons with the Leon Lechugueros.
