Pirates take care of business with win over Hornets

COSTA MESA -- The Orange Coast College women's basketball team took one more big step closer to a third straight Orange Empire Conference championship with a 71-58 OEC win over visiting Fullerton College on Thursday night inside the Peterson Gym.

With the win, the Pirates (22-4, 10-1 in conference) earned at least a share of the conference crown with two games left to play before the postseason gets underway. A home win on Wednesday against Santa Ana (6 p.m.) or a road win at Irvine Valley on Friday, Feb. 21 (5 p.m.) will give OCC its third conference title in a row. The last OEC 3-peat for the Pirates occurred from 2005-06 to 2007-08. 

Hailey Estrada led the Pirates with 21 points, nine rebounds, five assists and four steals, while Zoie Lamkin added 14 points and nine rebounds. Alyssa Dreessen (13 points, 10 rebounds) and Melaiah Joseph (10 points, 10 rebounds) each earned double-doubles, while Myia Collins came off the bench to score eight points, grab nine rebounds and dish out five assists.

Coast dominated the boards against the Hornets 58-39, which helped lead OCC to a 38-22 points-in-the-paint advantage. 

Both teams found the bottom of the hoop early and often as the Pirates and Hornets traded jabs in the first quarter, with OCC grabbing a 20-19 edge after the opening 10 minutes of play.

It was still just a 3-point advantage for Coast early in the second quarter (26-23) before the Pirates pulled away with a 16-0 run to grab a 42-23 advantage. 

The lead grew to as many as 27 late in the third quarter, with OCC clicking on all facets of the game.

Fullerton, the 17th-ranked team in the state, found some offensive success in the fourth quarter to pull to within 12, but it was too little, too late.  Xochitl Hood had 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Hornets, while Julianna Conklin added 11 points off the bench.

The Pirates will return to the Peterson Gym on Sophomore Night against Santa Ana College on Wednesday, beginning at 6 p.m.