Pirates tame Tigers, again!
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Riverside (9-15, 4-5) | 27 | 32 | 59 |
|
Orange Coast (7-14, 5-4) | 29 | 34 | 63 |
COSTA MESA -- For the first time in a decade, the Orange Coast College men's basketball team earned the season sweep over Riverside City College. On Friday night, the Pirates took care of business and topped the Tigers, 63-59, to keep their slim playoff hopes alive with three games remaining.
With the win, OCC (7-14, 5-4 in the Orange Empire Conference) trails Irvine Valley and Santa Ana by a half-game with three games left (IVC and SAC each have four games left). The Pirates will have to win their final three games or go 2-1 and get some help from the Lasers and/or Dons for a shot at their first postseason berth since 2006-07.
Davasyia Hagger was strong once again for Coast, leading the way with 18 points and 10 rebounds against a bigger and taller RCC squad. DeAndre Page added 16 points, six assists and four steals, while Deion Page added 11 points and Brad Buchignani chipped in 10.
For the Tigers (9-15, 4-5), Taj Adams had 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Malik Hawkins chipped in 12 points, but it wasn't enough as the Pirates went 2-0 against Riverside for the first time since the 2005-06 season.
Coast struggled early and trailed 17-6 midway through the first half before finally finding some offensive rhythm. Coast ended the half on a 23-10 run and led 29-27 at the half.
In the second half, the Pirates shot 50 percent from the floor (10-of-20) including three 3-pointers and made just enough free throws to preserve the win.
OCC led 58-48 with 6:27 left, but went ice-cold from the line down the stretch, allowing the Tigers to stay within striking distance. Finally, with 27 seconds left, RCC had cut the deficit down to a single point (58-57) before Coast hit 5-of-6 from the charity stripe on their last three possessions to preserve the win.
Coast will return to action on Thursday at home against Santa Ana, beginning at 5 p.m.
