Pirates pull out dramatic win over Rustlers
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Orange Coast (4-18, 0-12) | 46 | 44 | 90 |
|
Golden West (6-15, 1-9) | 29 | 59 | 88 |
HUNTINGTON BEACH -- A big lead evaporated, but the Orange Coast College men's basketball team never stopped fighting and in the end, the Pirates pulled out a dramatic 90-88 Orange Empire Conference win over rival Golden West College on Tuesday at GWC.
Leading by as many as 22 points in the second half and 21 with with 7 minutes left in the game, the Pirates withstood a furious Rustler rally and managed to slip out of the GWC gym with a victory following a pair of last-second free throws.
Golden West trailed 80-59 before going on a 29-8 run that was capped off with a game-tying basket from Daniel Yardley with seven seconds left, evening the game at 88 apiece.
But guard Jydon Hall quickly drove down the court, forced contact and drew a foul with one second remaining. Hall calmly nailed both free throws to give the Pirates the win.
Prior to that late Rustlers' run, it was smooth sailing for the Pirates, who snapped a 14-game losing streak with Tuesday's win. Cody Aquino had a big night for the Pirates with a game-high 25 points, shooting 8-of-9 from the floor, 6-of-7 from 3-point range and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line. Hall finished the night with 21 points and five assists, while Aundrel Pua added 15 points and six rebounds.
In one of the best shooting nights of the season, the Pirates shot 50% from the floor (30-60), connected on 14 3-pointers and was a solid 16-of-21 from the free-throw line.
Coast hit NINE 3-pointers in the first half and quickly jumped out to a 46-29 halftime lead ... a lead that continue to increase at the start of the second half before GWC's comeback effort.
The Pirates will return to action on Thursday inside OCC's Peterson Gymnasium when they host Santa Ana, beginning at 5 p.m. The Pirates and Rustlers will tangle once again on Monday, at OCC, beginning at 5 p.m.
