Pirates suffer heartbreaking OT loss to Chargers
| Final | 1 | 2 | OT | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cypress (14-3, 1-0) | 32 | 30 | 11 | 73 |
|
Orange Coast (6-9, 0-1) | 27 | 35 | 10 | 72 |
COSTA MESA -- It was a rough way to kick off Orange Empire Conference play for the Orange Coast College men's basketball team as a last-minute lead would not hold up in Wednesday night's 73-72 overtime loss to visiting Cypress College inside the Peterson Gym.
In a game that saw the Pirates (6-9, 0-1) trail by 14 points with four minutes left in the first half, OCC battled all the way back and actually carried a 62-57 lead on the Chargers (14-3, 1-0) with just 11 seconds left before the guests picked up a fortunate road game bounce that turned the game around.
Cypress guard Jeremy Wright launched a 3-pointer with six seconds left that bounced high off the rim, hit the top of the backboard, then fell into the net, keeping the Chargers within striking distance.
Coast turned the ball over on a steal my Nolan Kelly and the Chargers' forward drove to the hoop and scored with less than two seconds left to tie the game at 62.
Jamaal Lee, who struggled with his shooting touch and a painful knee, scored the last six points for the Pirates -- including a go-ahead fade-away jumper with 36 seconds left -- to put Coast up, 72-71.
But the Chargers found success down the stretch and grabbed the lead for good on a Jordan Fleck layup in the game's final seconds.
OCC's Ryan Fusco missed a 3-pointer, but Ibrahim Gerlach appeared to have a put-back attempt just before the horn, but the ball would not fall as the Chargers escaped with the win.
Lee led Coast with 16 points and 14 rebounds, while Gerlach added 14 points and 13 boards. For the Chargers, Austin Payne had 21 points and 12 rebounds, while Wright added 17 points and five assists.
Coast will play at Santa Ana College on Friday (5 p.m.) before returning to the Peterson Gym on Wednesday against Irvine Valley (5 p.m.).
