Pirates' defense grounds Jets, 59-52
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
San Diego Miramar (4-6) | 28 | 24 | 52 |
|
Orange Coast (6-4) | 28 | 31 | 59 |
COSTA MESA -- The Orange Coast College men's basketball team made the most of its one-game "homestand" and posted a 59-52 nonconference win over visiting Miramar College on Friday night inside the Peterson Gym.
Points and comfortable leads were at a premium for both teams on Friday night as neither team could pull away from the other, but in the end, the Pirates (6-4) earned a win over the same Jets (4-6) team that won the previous matchup 72-59 back on Nov. 25.
Josh Govett led Coast with 15 points, while Sam Hunter continued his steady play this year with 14 points, four rebounds and three assists.
The Pirate defense forced 14 Miramar turnovers and held the Jets to under 40 percent shooting from the floor (18-of-46).
Charlie Gehler led the Jets' offense with 18 points to go along with a team-best eight rebounds.
Coast carried a modest lead through most of the first half, but the Jets hung around and by the end of the half, the game was tied at 28.
Miramar's biggest advantage came at the 13:58 mark when a Gehler 3-pointer gave the Jets a 40-35 advantage. But, Coast responded with a 14-5 run to grab a 49-45 lead with 9:07 remaining. A Govett 3-pointer put Coast ahead during that run and a Hunter jumper capped off the scoring.
That lead would not be lost the rest of the way as the Pirates hit just enough key shots to keep the Jets at bay the rest of the game. And, the Pirate defense clamped down and held the Jets off the scoreboard for the final 2:44 of the contest.
The Pirates will now return to the road and will open Orange Empire Conference play at Irvine Valley College on Tuesday, Dec. 19 at 6 p.m.
