Pirates come up short against Lasers
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Irvine Valley (11-9, 2-3) | 44 | 43 | 87 |
|
Orange Coast (7-13, 0-5) | 35 | 35 | 70 |
COSTA MESA -- The hot shooting of visiting Irvine Valley was too much to overcome for the Orange Coast College men's basketball team as the Pirates fell to the Lasers, 87-70, on Wednesday night inside the Peterson Gym.
IVC (11-9, 2-3 in Orange Empire Conference) hit 56 percent of its shots on the night (32-of-57) and held the Pirates (7-13, 0-5) to 32.3 percent (21-of-65) from the floor.
Kamar Reese had 16 points for Coast, while Tim Pena and Josh Mendoza each added 15 and Nate Harding chipped in 10.
For the Lasers, Lance Coleman II had 17 points, while Bekim Djokovic added 14 and Parker Sims and Daniel Hernandez each tossed in 10.
A hot start by the Pirates put the hosts ahead, 12-3, but Irvine Valley responded with a 12-0 run to get back into the game and take a 15-12 lead.
Both teams stayed close to each other for most of the opening half. A Pena 3-pointer tied the game at 29, but from there, IVC went on a 15-6 run to close out the opening 20 minutes as the Lasers led, 44-35, at the break.
The hot shooting for the Lasers continued into the second half as the lead continued to grow. IVC outscored the Pirates 26-19 over the first 11 minutes of the half as the Pirates trailed, 70-56 with 8:27 remaining. From there, the Lasers were not threatened the rest of the way.
The Pirates will travel to Fullerton College on Friday night at 7 p.m. The Hornets will be having a "Khloe Kares Night" where people are encouraged to bring in various toiletries to help support and assist homeless women in the L.A. and Orange County areas. Coast fans are encouraged to do whatever they can to help this noteworthy cause. For more information on the organization, go to www.khloekares.com.
