Pirates show grit in 52-40 win over Glendale
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Glendale (5-3) | 6 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 40 |
|
Orange Coast (8-2) | 8 | 10 | 22 | 12 | 52 |
COSTA MESA -- The Orange Coast College women's basketball team showed its ability to push back as the Pirates came out with a 52-40 nonconference win in Day 2 of the OCC Crossover on Saturday inside the Peterson Gym.
Melaiah Joseph came alive in the second half, scoring all of her team-best 15 points over the final two quarters of play. Nicole Uballe added 10 points and seven rebounds, while Andrea Rico chipped in seven points and four rebounds.
For the Vaqueros (5-3), Ligia Gonzalez led the offense with 13 points and six rebounds, while Shadel Ffrench notched a double-double with 11 points and 15 rebounds.
In spite of scoring the lowest total of any game this season, including their two losses, the Pirates upped their physicality against a very aggressive Vaquero team. Coast survived 25 fouls and 19 turnovers by forcing 23 Glendale turnovers of their own.
The turning point of the game came in the third quarter, when OCC found some offensive success from the 3-point arc. Trailing 24-20 midway through the third, Joseph and the Pirates used a 20-5 run to close out the quarter to give Coast a 40-29 lead.
From there, the Pirates' defense continued to shut down the Vaqueros, while the offense found just enough to keep Glendale outside of double-digit range the rest of the way.
In the opening game on Friday, Coast rolled to a 73-55 win over Long Beach City College. Joseph again led the offense with 18 points, while strong play was added by McKenzie Gillman (17 points, nine rebounds, five assists).
Rico was also strong against the Vikings with 14 points and seven rebounds, while Bianca Carter (eight points) and Sydney Sloan (five points, seven rebounds) came off the bench and performed well.
Coast will return to action on Thursday at the L.A. Valley College Tournament and will take on Long Beach once again, beginning at 7 p.m.
