Starters dominate for Pirates in win over Hornets
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Fullerton (5-16, 1-8) | 18 | 18 | 10 | 19 | 65 |
|
Orange Coast (14-12, 5-5) | 21 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 70 |
COSTA MESA -- Playoff hopes are still alive and well for the Orange Coast College women's basketball team, as the Pirates rolled past visiting Fullerton College, 70-65, on Tuesday night inside the Peterson Gym.
Chyann Pendergrass led an inspired starting group with 20 points for the Pirates (14-12, 5-5 in the Orange Empre Conference), while Sarah Nunes added 17 points and Sami Little came up with one of her best games in a Coast uniform with 15 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.
Off the bench, Deanna Fink was a monster down low, grabbing 11 rebounds in just 16 minutes of action.
OCC's starting five outscored the Hornets opening five, 68-35, dropping the guests to 5-16 overall, 1-8 in the OEC.
Emilee Dy led Fullerton's starters 15 points and eight assists, while Jasmine Young came off the bench and provided 17 points and seven rebounds.
A made 3-pointer by Nancy De La Cruz put the Hornets up, 46-45, with 3:17 left in the third, before the Pirates ripped of nine straight points and never trailed again, despite a hard-fought effort by FC.
Once again, another 3-pointer -- this on by Young -- brought Fullerton to within a point at 62-61 with 2:25 left in the game before Coast wrapped things up with a 8-4 run. Nunes iced the game with a layup and two made free throws, while Little and Michelle Wu nailed key buckets down the stretch to push Coast past the Hornets.
With the win, OCC now sits tied with Riverside City College for fourth place in OEC play and just a half-game behind third-place Santa Ana in the standings with two games remaining for the Pirates.
Coast will host the Tigers on Thursday in the regular season home finale, beginning at 5 p.m. In the opening round, Coast handled Riverside, 62-56 at RCC on Jan. 20.
