Women’s basketball: Pirates can’t eke out win

Steve Virgen

IRVINE - Games with loose balls, scraped knees and dizzying

back-and-forth madness usually cater to the Orange Coast College women’s

basketball team.

Thursday night at Irvine Valley College wasn’t the case.

The Pirates pulled to within three points with 42 seconds left, after

being down by as many as 10, but failed to make the plays to win. And,

the Lasers grabbed the victory, 50-43, in an Orange Empire Conference

opener.

“It was a win-able game for us,” OCC Coach Mike Thornton said. “We

just shot ourselves in the foot too many times. We made some crucial

turnovers.”

After being down by 10 with 12:34 remaining, the Bucs made a comeback

with a 10-2 run.

When Nadia Mojica, who scored 15 points, converted on an easy layup,

OCC was down by two and IVC called a timeout with nine minutes left.

After scoring just four points in the first half, Mojica’s performance

picked up in the second. She was grabbing rebounds and dominating inside

the paint. She finished with 13 boards.

“I think she was trying to do too much,” Thornton said of Mojica’s

first half. “She knows that we rely on her a lot. She played more

aggressively obviously in the second half.”

The Bucs (10-8, 0-1 OEC) continued to surge, but they would trade

baskets with the Lasers (13-5, 1-0). With 1:19 remaining, OCC trailed

46-41. IVC Coach Julie Hanks was charged a technical when she asked for a

foul to be called on her player.

Pirates sophomore and Newport Harbor High product Kristen Urban (13

points) sank two free throws and Thornton called a timeout. He set up a

play for a three-point shot, but Karyn Fierst’s three-point attempt was

off, the Lasers rebounded and Shannon Owens sank two free throws to put

the game out of reach.

“We have to shoot better,” Thornton said. “or it’s going to be a long

season, We need to get more out of Fierst.”

The Pirates opened the game scoreless through the first three minutes

until Kiersten Melville hit a free throw. She finished with seven points.

OCC and the Lasers battled back and forth during the first half, until

IVC reeled off a 10-2 run.

Fierst hit a three-pointer and Urban hit a jump shot with three

seconds left as the Bucs trailed 24-19 at halftime.

The Lasers began the second half outscoring OCC, 8-3. The Pirates

points came from an Urban three-pointer and then Coast went on its 10-2

run which included a trey from Janette Redmond.

“Conference games are scrappy,” Thornton said. “Both teams are

pressing really hard. I think that’s why neither team shot that well. We

just made some careless turnovers.”

The Bucs will face Cypress in OCC’s first home conference game of the

season on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.