Pirates hang on for 46-43 win over Chargers

COSTA MESA -- The Orange Coast College women's basketball team picked up a win they NEEDED to win as the Pirates hung on for a 46-43 Orange Empire Conference win over visiting Cypress College on Friday night inside the Peterson Gym.

In a game that saw both teams shoot a combined 32 percent from the floor and 12 percent from 3-point land, the emphasis was on defense, where both teams made the other earn every single point scored.

In the end, the Pirates (18-7, 6-3 in the Orange Empire Conference) found just enough offensive success to squeak out a win against the rival Chargers (18-6, 5-3) to further tighten up the OEC conference race.

Melaiah Joseph led OCC with 13 points and five rebounds, while Sydney Sloan was the shooting star, going a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor for 10 points to go along with five rebounds. Andrea Rico anchored the boards with a team-best 13 rebounds to go along with eight points and she and Madisyn Foulk paced the offense with four assists each.

For the Chargers, their offense started and stopped with sophomore standout Christaesha Jackson, who had 23 points and eight rebounds. Mariah Henderson added nine points, but the rest of the Cypress lineup combined for just 11 points on 4-of-17 shooting.

Coast came out strong and 13-8 after the opening 10 minutes. That lead grew to as many as 10 in the second quarter as the Charger offense was held to just nine points through the first 13 minutes of play.

The OCC lead returned to 10 at 35-25 following a Rico layup with 6:30 left in the third before a 9-2 Cypress run closed out the quarter, bringing the Chargers to within three at 37-34 with one quarter left to go.

A pair of Jackson free throws with 4:37 remaining pulled Cypress to within a point at 44-43, but that would be the last points scored by the Chargers the rest of the night.

Both teams struggled down the stretch as the defensive pressure from both sides prevented offensive success from anyone.

With 20 seconds remaining and Cypress with a chance to take its first lead since the opening bucket of the game, a Jackson jumper missed its mark and Joseph grabbed the all-important rebounds.

Following an OCC timeout, Rico was fouled and made her first free throw, but after her second attempt was missed, she was able to collect her own rebound after a multi-person scramble for the loose ball. Lexi Mercado was then fouled with four seconds left and she went 1-for-2 from the line, putting Coast up, 46-43.

Cypress called its final timeout and moved the ball to their side of the floor, but a last-second 3-point attempt went long to end the game in favor of the Pirates.

Following the game, the Pirates honored their two sophomores -- Joseph and MJ Daley -- as they get closer to wrapping up their careers in a Pirate uniform.

With the win, Coast remains one game out of first place behind Saddleback (7-2) with Irvine Valley off tonight at 6-2. The Pirates will travel to IVC to take on the Lasers on Thursday, beginning at 7 p.m. OCC's final regular-season home game takes place on Wednesday, Feb. 18 against Fullerton, also at 7 p.m.