Orange Coast College

Women's Basketball: Pirates drop heartbreaker to Cerritos

Friday, December 12, 2008

COSTA MESA -- The Orange Coast College women's basketball team fell to 9-3 overall with a 58-57 nonconference loss to visiting Cerritos College on Friday at the Peterson Gym.

After watching a one-point lead evaporate with two made free throws by Cerritos' Maleta Daughtery with eight seconds left, the Pirates raced down the court and drew a foul of their own, giving the hosts a chance to win with two shots from the line with one second remaining.

Unfortunately for Coast, both shots missed their mark, leaving the Pirates one point short.

After a ragged first half, OCC came out strong in the second half, turning a three-point deficit into a nine-point lead, 47-38, with 8:50 left in the game.

But Cerritos (6-6) came back with a 13-2 run of its own to take a 51-49 advantage with 3:15 left. Mercedes Taylor led the Falcons with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Daughtery added 17 off the bench with eight rebounds and four assists.

Both teams went back and forth in the final three minutes of play. With Cerritos holding a 56-54 lead, OCC's Chelsea Alfafara drained a clutch 3-pointer with 11 seconds left to give OCC a one-point advantage.

Following a Cerritos timeout Daughtery took the inbounds pass and was fouled in the backcourt with eight seconds left, much to the dismay of the Pirates' fans and coaching staff.

Daughtery made the first one to tie the game and, after an OCC timeout, drained the second to give the Falcons the lead for good.

Casey Gomez led the Pirates with 18 points and four steals, while Alfafara added 14 points off the bench and Simone Ibbotson chipped in 12.

OCC returns to action on Saturday afternoon, at home, at 1 p.m. against Ventura College.