Late rally falls short for Pirates in loss to Bobcats
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Saddleback (10-10, 4-4) | 31 | 31 | 62 |
|
Orange Coast (4-17, 0-8) | 13 | 40 | 53 |
COSTA MESA -- The Orange Coast College men's basketball team couldn't overcome an icy first half of shooting and the Pirates' comeback fell short in a 62-53 Orange Empire Conference loss to visiting Saddleback College on Wednesday inside the Peterson Gym.
It was definitely a tale of two halves for the Pirates, who shot just 20% from the floor in a 13-point first half of basketball. Coast regrouped and put up 40 points in the second half, but the 18-point Bobcat lead at the half could not be overcome.
Saddleback led 58-40 before a last-ditch run by the Pirates saw them rip off 11 straight points to get to within seven at 58-51 with just under a minute remaining. But Saddleback's David Mitchell iced the game for the guests with four made free throws in the game's final minute to end the improbable OCC comeback.
Mathys Djomby Enyawe led the Pirates with 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line. Jay Fromm added nine points and Sawyer Clemett tossed in eight points.
For the Bobcats, Mitchell led all scorers with 16 points, while T.J. Tittelfitz tossed 15 points to go with five rebounds.
Coast will return to action on Friday at Riverside City College, beginning at 5 p.m. OCC's next home game will take place on Wednesday against Cypress at 7 p.m.
