Ray Holly etched his name into the record books

Posted by Tony Lee - Nov. 18

Coast's running back Ray Holley broke the all-time single season rushing record at OCC Saturday (Nov. 14) when he rushed for 266 yards with five touchdowns against Long Beach City College. See all the entire game summary and how Holley got the record.

Fastest of them all

Posted by Tony Lee - Oct. 31

Orange Coast College's cross country teams proved Friday (Oct. 30) that both men's and women's squads are the team to beat for the 2009 state championship. At the Orange Empire Conference Cross Country Tournament in Huntington Beach's Central Park, Coast finished first in the men's five-mile run and the women's 5K run in a convincing fashion. See how the runners finished.

Where are the champs?

Posted by Tony Lee - Oct. 25

The defending Orange Empire Conference Player of the Year, Brett Wallach, who was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers, leads the pack key players on the 2009 state champion baseball team have moved onto different locations. See where they moved to since then.

What loss to Golden West?

Posted by Tony Lee - Oct. 25

After the Orange Coast College women's volleyball team suffered its first loss of the season, the lady Pirates have won five-straight games - the latest on Friday (Oct. 23) against Santa Ana College. See how the lady Pirates have bounced back.

Meet a Pirate: Danny Orona

Posted by Tony Lee - Sept. 20

Danny Orona is a 5 foot 6 inch, 160 pound driver from Los Amigos High School who starts on the men's water polo team. “Last year, he really didn't get much playing time but he kept working in practice every single day,” head coach Monty McCord said. "He makes things happen when he's in there. He's a great defensive player (and) he's willing to do a lot of the dirty work not everyone is willing to do." See how he answered the questions.

Victory Bell stays at Coast

Posted by Tony Lee - Sept. 20

For the first time in the West-Coast Showdown history, the Pirates have won the Victory Bell three years in a row. In a dramatic 24-21 victory, Coast (3-0) defeated the Golden West College Rustlers (0-3) to even up the all-time series at 20-20-2. See the last-second dramatics of the game with pictures and quotes from players and coaches.

Meet a Pirate(s): Rebecca Murray and Melissa Mahi

Posted by Tony Lee - Sept. 11

The women's basketball coaching staff have picked their captains for the 2009-2010 season. Rebecca Murray (left) and Melissa Mahi (right) are sophomore returners. See how they answered the questions from the hat.

Showing posts with label women's basketball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label women's basketball. Show all posts

Lady Pirates hands Mt. San Jacinto its first loss

By Tony Lee On Friday, December 11, 2009 0 comments
Orange Coast College's women's basketball team, fresh off a buzzer-beating, tournament winning shot at the 26th-Annual Conoco-Phillips Tournament, played at Cuesta College, adds one more heartbreaking loss to another team's standings.

According to OCC's Sports Information Director Tony Altobelli, the lady Pirates (8-3) "led most of the first half and carried a 41-31 lead one minute into the second half before the (Mt. San Jacinto) Eagles (7-1) found their spark and ripped off 12 straight points, forcing the Pirates into a pair of timeouts.

"Both teams traded baskets and the lead for the next few minutes before the Pirates responded with a game-changing 13-0 run, highlighted by eight points from Michelle Lewis (pictured) and a pair of buckets from (Samantha) Hansen, giving Coast a 64-52 lead with 6:40 left."

Coast's Amanda Deal led the lady Pirates once again with 11 and 10 apiece from Danielle Keneipp and Hansen.

Click here to read full game summary by Altobelli.

OCC returns to action on Friday in the opening round of the Coast Christmas Classic against El Camino, beginning at 7 p.m.

[Photo courtesy of Justin Yamasaki]
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Deal me in

By Tony Lee On Saturday, December 05, 2009 0 comments
Freshman Amanda Deal (pictured) scored a career-high 25 points on Friday to defeat Allan Hancock College 71-67 at the semifinals of the Cuesta College Tournament.

Deal had five three-pointers and scored 16 of her 25 points in the second half to help the lady Pirates (6-3) advance to today's title game at 4 p.m.

Coast's Samantha Hansen added 11 points in the contest.

[Photo courtesy of Justin Yamasaki]
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Make it rain

By Tony Lee On Wednesday, December 02, 2009 0 comments
Head coach Mike Thornton said the Orange Coast College lady Pirates have been playing stressed out at the start of the season.

His goal at the third place game of the Santa Ana College Thanksgiving Tournament was for his players to be stress-free and relax on offense. The lady Pirates (4-3) did just that and responded with making a season-high 12 three pointers on Sunday (Nov. 29) to defeat Solano College, 81-50, at the Cook Gym.

"I'm a little bit of a perfectionist and have been a bit demanding," Thornton said. "Our goal today was to come out relaxed on offense and I think we did that today."

Sophomore Jenna Lujan (pictured), who led the team with 16 points and eight rebounds Sunday, was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Thornton said that he asked Lujan to be more assertive on offense this season and this was the first time she did that this season.

"Coach has been talking about being more offensive minded - and not just defensive," Lujan said. "I'm still looking for my players, but firstly, looking for my layups and finishing strong."

Thornton was also impressed by her defense - especially against San Bernardino Valley College on Saturday.

"I think she had only nine points but took four charges," he said. "I think that's the most charges anyone has taken at Coast in a game."

Freshman Tiffany Montiero added 10 points off the bench and contributed two of the 12 three pointers on Sunday. Lujan converted three of the 12.

Coast's Sam Hansen scored nine points, Helena Robel scored eight and Alyssa Hanson and Michelle Yamasaski scored seven also.

"We have a lot of people that can play - we play about 12 people," Hanson said. "We have a lot of people rotating in-and-out, pretty quick."

Lujan also echoes that statement.

"It's cool knowing that we can all score," she said. "We don't have that one go-to-player. We can all drive, finish, make free throws so it just equals it all out."

OCC returns to action on Thursday (Dec. 3) at the Cuesta College Tournament against the College of the Redwoods, beginning at 3:30 p.m.

[Photo by Tony Lee]
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Ouch!

By Tony Lee On Wednesday, December 02, 2009 0 comments
Orange Coast College's Alyssa Hanson (No. 12) said she suffered a bloody lip early in the first half Sunday (Nov. 29) after her teammate Jenna Lujan "elbowed me in the mouth."

"Oh my gosh I feel so bad," Lujan said. "I told her she went after my rebound and she was in post territory. But I feel really bad about that."

Hanson returned to the game after getting her lip treated and finished with 7 points on 3-of-5 shooting.

"She was really sorry about it," Hanson said. "It just happens. It's OK. I'll just have a fat lip for awhile."

Also in the picture, trainer Dan Denzler on the left and teammate Bianca Carranza on the right.

[Photo by Tony Lee]
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No Thanksgiving hangover for the lady Pirates

By Tony Lee On Friday, November 27, 2009 0 comments


The lady Pirates put their hands in the middle and yelled out "team" before the opening tip-off of the Santa Ana College Thanksgiving Tournament Friday (Nov. 27).

That word is probably the best way to describe the 2009-10 Orange Coast College women's basketball team because, according to head coach Mike Thornton, there are no superstars on the roster.

But to win, the lady Pirates do not need a No. 1 offensive option. With its top four scoring leaders only separated by four points Friday, Coast (3-2) shared the ball as a team en route to a 56-47 win over Merced College (1-4) at the Cook Gym.

"Through the first four games, we had a different leading scorer every game," Thornton said.

But Coast forward Sam Hansen, fresh off a 21 point performance in a 76-74 overtime win over Cerritos College on Nov. 18, is one of the front-runners to be that No. 1 scoring option.

Hansen scored 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting (4-of-4 on free throws) Friday to become the lady Pirates' first back-to-back scoring leader this season.

"When I'm in, I'm going to give it my all," she said.

Hansen also had a team-high four steals in the contest and was a big part of Coast's full-court defensive press that resulted in 20 first half Merced turnovers.

Because of that, the lady Pirates closed the first half on a 7-0 run and carried over the momentum at the start of the second half with an 8-1 run to give themselves a 15 point cushion with 14 minutes left in the game.

"We practiced that a lot," Hansen said of the full court press defense. "We just want to execute that to give ourselves more chances for baskets."

Coast freshman Amanda Deal, who scored 11 points on 2-of-2 shooting and 6-of-8 from the free throw line, added that because no one is a No. 1 offensive option, their team unity shows on both sides of the court.

"We're always working hard (and) I can count on any girl at any time when we're playing," she said. "We all just want to win and it shows."

The other top scorers for Coast were sophomore Jenna Lujan, who also led the lady Pirates with two blocks and four assists, and freshman Tiffany Monteiro (2-of-4 on three pointers) with eight points.

"We have to work really hard together," Hansen said. "We win as a team, we lose as a team."

Coast will play against San Bernardino Valley College Saturday (Nov. 28) in the second round of the tournament at 5 p.m. at Cook Gym.

[Photos by Tony Lee]
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Meet a Pirate(s): Rebecca Murray and Melissa Mahi

By Tony Lee On Friday, September 11, 2009 0 comments
Sophomores Rebecca Murray (left) and Melissa Mahi (right) were chosen as co-team captains by the coaching staff earlier this week.

“I think they’re well respected by all their teammates and, to my knowledge, there’s not anybody that dislikes them on the team. They both are in good standing academically - which also came into consideration,” head coach Mike Thornton said.

The lady Pirates will play its first game on Dec. 11 against Mt. San Jancito at 7 p.m. and will return home on Jan. 6 to play its first home OEC game against RCC at 7:30 p.m.

Who is your celebrity crush and why?
Murray: David Beckham because of his beautiful body and his tattoos.

If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Mahi: I would say Ellen DeGeneres because she is hilarious – or Michael Jackson.

Last time you cried during a movie and why?
Murray: I have a last time I cried during a show. It was “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” I cry every time.

What’s in your gym bag that’s weird or you don’t want people to know about?
Mahi: I have my bathing suit just in case I don’t have class and I get to go to the beach.

Do you think you deserve more playing time?
Murray: No, because we haven’t got into the season yet, but it just depends on how you play individually in practice because how I practice is how I play in the game.

What’s the weirdest thing in your room and why do you still have it?
Mahi: I have a big portrait of myself – like a big poster. It was from high school, like those banners they put up on the gym wall. It’s really weird because people come into my room and like, “Are you conceited?”

What is your biggest pet peeve and why?
Murray: People interrupting when I’m talking because it just cuts the flow off.

LeBron or Kobe and why?
Mahi: Oh man, that’s so easy. It’s LeBron – King James!
Murray: Why? Please tell me.
Mahi: I’m not a Kobe lover and LeBron is just a beast. LeBron James can just knock him down. Any day, LeBron James.
Me: Then tell your Kobe argument?
Murray: Kobe is just amazing. There’s no questions about it.
Mahi: Overrated.
Murray: No he’s not! MVP. What about that? MVP.

Questions you want answered by athletes can be submitted to coastreportsports@gmail.com and I would add it in the hat.

[Photos courtesy of Hank Schellingerhout]
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Budget cuts affecting women's basketball

By Tony Lee On Tuesday, September 08, 2009 0 comments
The top story for the Coast Report's Sept. 9 issue is "Coast axes intersession offers" and talks about Orange Coast College cutting intersession to allocate funds elsewhere.

This will affect OCC's women's basketball program more than other Coast sports since basketball is the only one that plays both fall and spring.

"Usually half our team takes intersession classes so the kids that are sophomores, they expected to have an opportunity to pick up a transferable class in the intersession, but that's not there," head coach Mike Thornton said.

But even for the fall semester, many sophomores might have to go to OCC one more year because they have trouble getting into classes required for transfering.

"There are a couple classes...one's a chemistry class, I think, and there are only one or two of those classes offered," Thornton said. "Even though they had an early registration appointment, they didn't get in."

Thornton added the team relied on donations for their Rebounder's Club and advertisements for team media guides.

The school printed out a couple hundred guides and any excess copies were to come out of the donations and advertisements. But that's not the case this year.

"The only way (budget cuts) have affected it is we have to pay for all the printing," Thornton said.

The budget cuts have hurt the lady Pirates on the court too.

"We had to cut back four games from our schedule, from 28 games to 24 games," he said.

Thornton's team will play in five tournaments this year to try to make up the lost games. If the lady Pirates play in the maximum amount of games possible at the tournaments, they will play more than 28 games.

Budget cuts have affected other Coast teams similarly also and this is just one example

During the summer, Coast's Communications Director Jeff Hobbs said “I don’t think the programs themselves are going to see any drastic cuts as of now, but that could change."

Well, at least they didn't axe one of the 21 sports program instead, but if how the women's basketball team is affected is a foreshadowing of things to come, I have a feeling I might be reporting a bigger story sooner than later.

[Photo courtesy of CartoonStock.com]
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2009-10 men's and women's basketball schedule

By Tony Lee On Saturday, August 15, 2009 0 comments
The men's basketball team will start its season by going away for the Ventura Tournament on Nov. 5-7.

The Pirates' first home game, held at Peterson Gym, will be on Nov. 12 against Moorpark College at 7:30 p.m.

Its first home Orange Empire Conference game will be on Jan. 6 against Riverside Community College at 5:30 p.m.

As reported earlier, head coach Steve Spencer said "I don’t guarantee somebody who’s on the team last year that they’re going to be on the team.”

But I have a feeling sophomore Martin Whitmore (right), who led the Pirates with 15.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game last year, will lace-up for Spencer for 2009-10.

For the entire men's schedule, click here.

On the other hand, the women's head coach Mike Thornton said in an earlier report that he almost has his roster set already and will have more of a practice, rather than tryouts, during the summer.

One of the returners will be sophomore starter Jenna Lujan (left). In 32 games, she averaged 6.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.

Thornton's team start off the season at the Santa Barbara Tournament on Nov. 13-15.

The lady Pirates' first home game is on Dec. 11 against Mt. San Jancito at 7 p.m. and will return home on Jan. 6 to play its first home OEC game against RCC at 7:30 p.m.

For the entire women's schedule, click here.

[Photos by Hank Schellingerhout]
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Orange Coast College basketball camp

By Tony Lee On Sunday, July 26, 2009 0 comments
If you want to teach 7- to 17-year-olds how to play basketball like a Pirate, then bring them down to the Orange Coast College Peterson Gym Monday (July 27) for the boys and girls OCC Basketball Skills Camp.

The camp is from July 27 to July 31 and will be directed by OCC head men's basketball coach Steve Spencer.

Men's assistant coach Yee Tran and women's assistant coach Teeya Fernandez will also cordinate the camp.

The first session, from 9 a.m. to noon, is for the 7- to 12-year-olds. The second session, from 1-4 p.m., is for the 13- to 17-year-olds.

Simone Ibbotson (pictured) will be one of the former OCC players helping out in the camp. Ibbotson is a first-team, All-Orange Empire Conference player and will play for Chapman University in the fall.

The camp's cost is $125 for each child - $75 for each additional sibling - and includes a T-shirt.
To register, contact OCC's Bursars office at (714) 432-5880 x1.

OCC Peterson Gym is located at 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626.

[Photo by Peter Bicknell]
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Pirate Recruits: Alyssa Hanson

By Tony Lee On Tuesday, July 07, 2009 0 comments
So I have to confess something.

I'm a journalist first and a photographer second but this picture may prove I'm a dum-dum before those.

When I took this picture couple months ago at OCC's open gym, I had my camera on black and white setting and never changed it.

Smooth, I know.

But I'm sure I'm going to have plenty of opportunity to take pictures of her during the 2009-2010 lady Pirates' basketball season, in color.

Alyssa, my bad.

Well Orange Coast College and the world, Coast basketball (and the OCC Sports Blog) introduces freshman Alyssa Hanson.

Also, check out the fall preview article I wrote in the Coast Report for the entire women's basketball team.

So head coach Mike Thornton told me you turned down a scholarship from Chapman University to play at Coast. Talk about that.
Main reason why I did that was because I want to play basketball. Chapman's a good school, a lot of money, but I wanted to play basketball.

What made you choose Coast over other schools?
It was the basketball program and it's one of the best junior colleges around so it seemed like a great way to go. I love the coaches, the players and everything.

What are your expectations in the upcoming season?
We have a lot of good players coming in. I think the people that are coming in are going to really good (and) we're going to work hard and play very well.

What's your major going to be at OCC?
Right now it's undecided but it's between kinesiology or business.

What high school are you from?
Esperanza (in Anaheim).

[Photo by Tony Lee]
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Q & A with OCC basketball star Casey Gomez

By Tony Lee On Wednesday, April 15, 2009 0 comments
Gomez is one of the two lady Pirates to earn All-Orange Empire Conference first team honors in the 2008-2009 season.

She lead the lady Pirates with 119 assists (3.7 per game), steals (2.4 per game), free throws attempted (107) and averaged 12.6 points per game - 29 being her highest total - this season.

Gomez was recently accepted to Chapman University and plans on playing on the women's basketball team this fall.

But more importantly, she was the first Pirate of the Week in the Coast Report and the first athlete I interviewed for the paper this semester. Obviously this is the bigger accomplishment.

So you got into Chapman - how stoked are you?
I'm pretty stoked. I didn't know I was going to go there and I didn't expect to go there but I'm excited I can keep playing basketball.

What's going to be the saddest part about leaving OCC?
Oh my god everything! I love OCC - I really wish it was a four-year school so I don't have to go away. But I'm definitely going to miss all the people that I made friends with here, I'm going to miss the team and just the smaller, personal feeling you get (here at OCC).

How do you think the team will do without you next season?
I'm sure they'll be fine. I like to say that they'd be terrible without me but I'm pretty sure they are going to do good. Everybody's coming back (from last season), only a couple of us are leaving, so they'll be good. And there's new good people.

Anything else you want to add?
Shout out to my basketball girls. I'm going to miss everybody. We all became like a family when you're here and definitely going to miss - I don't know what it's like when I go over to Chapman but I know it won't be anything like it was here. I'm going to remember these times and keep it in my heart.

[Photo by Tony Lee]
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