Orange Coast College

Dons use second-half run to top Pirates, 99-93

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

COSTA MESA - With 15 minutes left in the game, the Orange Coast College men's basketball team held a 65-51 lead and appeared to be on its way to a 4-0 record in the Orange Empire Conference.

The Santa Ana Dons had other ideas.

Finding points from all angles, the Dons outscored the Pirates 48-28 the rest of the way to pull out a 99-93 win, giving the hosts their first conference loss.

A pair of SAC support players proved to be the difference-makers for the Dons (13-5, 2-2 in the OEC). Rod Harmon, who came into Wednesday's game averaging 6.8 points per game, scored a game-high 28 points, while D'Andre Denan (7.1 ppg) added 22 points. The duo combined for 9-of-16 (56.2 percent) shooting from 3-point land and 15-of-25 (60 percent) from the field.

Four players reached double figures for the Pirates (12-10, 3-1), led by Shaun Engle's 18 points. Steve Cornett added 16, Josh Poitevin chipped in 15 on 5-of-7 3-pointers and Brian Molina contributed 11 points.

Both teams came out red-hot as OCC hit eight of its first 12 shots, while the Dons nearly equaled the feat, hitting 7-of-12 in the same 7:31 span of the first half.

While the Dons eventually cooled off, the Pirates kept firing, hitting 16-of-30 from the field. They led 52-39 at the half as Engle's 15 points led the way.

But the Dons not only found success from downtown (9-of-16 3-pointers in the second half), they also were aggressive down low, earning several trips to the free-throw line, where they outscored the Pirates 21-4 in the second half.

OCC will host Saddleback on Friday, beginning at 5:30 p.m.