Pirates kick off season with 2-1 record at Ventura tournament
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Orange Coast (2-1) | 40 | 39 | 79 |
|
Pasadena City (1-2) | 37 | 41 | 78 |
VENTURA -- The Orange Coast College men's basketball team overcame a season-opening loss to win two straight at the Ventura College Tournament this past weekend.
The Pirates took on Antelope Valley in the opener and fell, 95-81. Kamar Reese came off of the bench and scored 22 points, including 12-of-13 from the free-throw line, to lead OCC.
Coast used a strong second half to pull away from Moorpark in the consolation semifinals on Saturday. After battling the Raiders to a stalemate in the first half (29-29), the Pirates went 15-of-30 from the field, 6-of-15 from 3-point range and 11-of-19 from the free-throw line to pull away from the Raiders.
Ryan Fusco had 11 points and four rebounds for Coast, while Josh Mendoza added 10 points.
OCC advanced to the consolation finals and there, the Pirates pulled out a 79-78 win over Pasadena City College. In the final minute of play, McKay Anderson's layup gave PCC a 78-76 lead, but on Coast's final possession, Tim Pena came up huge, nailing a 3-pointer to give the Pirates the lead for good.
Reese led the Pirates with 20 points and five rebounds, while Mendoza and Ibrahim Gerlach each added 12 points and Pena threw in 11.
OCC will host Miramar College on Friday night, beginning at 5 p.m.
