Pirates nearly stun Saddleback, but Gauchos escape with 70-66 win
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Saddleback (21-1, 6-0) | 34 | 36 | 70 |
|
Orange Coast (8-12, 2-4) | 29 | 37 | 66 |
COSTA MESA -- It's never an easy task to play a road game inside the Peterson Gym and for the Orange Coast College men's basketball team, that rule nearly helped the Pirates pull off a major upset against the best team in the state.
But the Saddleback College Gauchos showed why they are the top dog in the kennel and escaped with a 70-66 Orange Empire Conference win on Wednesday night.
Lyle Hexom led Saddleback (21-1, 6-0 in OEC) with 16 points and six rebounds, while Jalen Hall and T.J. Shorts each tossed in 11 points.
For the Pirates (8-12, 2-4), Jamaal Lee scored a game-high 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, while Kyle Lawson and Ibrahim Gerlach each added 10 points.
Saddleback jumped out quickly to a 20-8 lead and it looked like a long night for the host Pirates, but OCC managed to stay within shouting distance of the bigger, deeper Gauchos and trailed by only five at the half, 34-29.
Coast continued to fight and with 17:40 left in the game, Lee rolled in a layup to give OCC its first lead of the game, 37-36, capping off a 29-16 run by the Pirates.
Both teams went back and forth before early fouls by the Pirates sent the Gauchos to the free-throw line throughout the second half, where they converted 20-of-26 down the stretch (24-of-32 for the game).
Coast had the ball and trailed, 60-58 with a minute to play when Lee hoisted up a 3-pointer that just missed its mark. That led to a 6-0 run of free throws by Saddleback, giving the guests the lead for good.
OCC will return to action on Friday at Cypress (7 p.m.) before hosting Santa Ana on Wednesday on Coaches vs. Cancer Night, also at 7 p.m.
