Pirates stung by Hornets, 70-55
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Fullerton (17-0, 6-0) | 38 | 32 | 70 |
|
Orange Coast (3-15, 0-6) | 31 | 24 | 55 |
COSTA MESA -- The Orange Coast College men's basketball team pushed the No. 2-ranked Fullerton College Hornets on Wednesday night, but the Pirates came up short, 70-55, inside the Peterson Gym.
Myles Woods had 16 points, four assists and three steals for the Pirates, while Jonathan Ileleji added 15 points and Aundrel Pua chipped in 12 points to go along with nine rebounds and four steals.
For the unbeaten Hornets, it was an off night from the beyond the arc (3-of-18 from 3-point range) and from the free-throw line (9-of-16), but RJ Knibb's 18-point, 12-rebound night off the bench helped push Fullerton to victory. Ronnie Stapp led the Hornets with 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Coast led early, 9-8, before Fullerton grabbed hold of the game with a 15-0 run over the next eight minutes of play and never lost the lead the rest of the night. But Coast hung tough and trailed only by seven at the half, 38-31.
Fullerton came out strong in the second half and used an 11-2 run to lead 49-33 with just over 16 minutes remaining. FC's advantage remained in double figures the rest of the way and the Hornets were never threatened down the stretch.
OCC will return to action on Friday at Golden West College, beginning at 5 p.m. OCC's next home game will be on Wednesday against Santa Ana, with a tentative start time of 7 p.m.
