Men’s Basketball: Bucs win ugly one

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - It wasn’t pretty, but for the Orange Coast College

men’s basketball team, it was a ‘W’.

In a game that featured 19 lead changes, but 43 combined turnovers and

37 total fouls, the Pirates (9-4) picked up their sixth straight victory

as point guard Ryan Earl tipped a loose ball to Mister McKinney, who was

fouled after the steal with three seconds remaining. McKinney sank two

free throws for the 70-66 nonconference victory over visiting Rio Hondo

Thursday.

“When you don’t play your best,” OCC Coach Mark Hill said, “and, you

can find ways to win basketball games, that’s a sign of a good basketball

team.”

OCC’s Chad Hagedorn, who scored a game-high 20 points, positioned

himself in the paint and hit an easy layup for a 68-66 lead with 47

seconds remaining. Less than 10 seconds later, Hagedorn stole the ball

and Earl ran out the clock until there was 15 seconds left.

But, then the Roadrunners (2-12) stole the ball back, before Earl and

McKinney teamed for the winning play with three seconds remaining.

“We didn’t play hard at all,” Earl said. “But, we found a way to win.

We’ve come together as a team. Before it was all one guy trying to do it.

Now we have trust in each other and we’re making the right plays.”

Earl finished with 15 points as he continually drove to the basket off

stutter-step, cross-over dribbling. He also had three steals.

“It’s just been my confidence,” he said of his recent improved play.

“I’m playing with a lot more enthusiasm because I got my confidence up.”

After the teams went scoreless in the opening two minutes, Coast built

a 10-2 lead over the next two minutes. But, Rio Hondo fought back with a

12-0 run and the teams battled neck and neck the rest of the night.

After scoring just four points in the first half, Nick Burwell

finished with 17 points for OCC. McKinney came off the bench to score six

points and had four steals.

The Pirates will have a break for Christmas and then resume play at

the San Jose Tournament, Dec. 28-30. OCC will begin the tourney with host

San Jose, the No. 5 team in the state.

“Everything is kind of dead right now,” Earl said of the team’s mood

amid a six-game winning streak. “We’re not even that aware of the winning

streak. We’re not that high on it. We’re kind of in a rut right now.

We’re basically going through the motions.”

NONCONFERENCE

Orange Coast 70, Rio Hondo 66

Rio Hondo - Velasquez 17, Powers 16, Ford 11, Alamandarez 11, Teran 6,

Diaz 4, Black 1.

3-pt. goals - Velasquez 2, Alamandarez 1, Powers 1.

Fouled out - Fritz.

Technicals - None.

Orange Coast - Hagedorn 20, Burwell 17, Earl 15, McKinney 6, Madrid 4,

Webster 2, Libistre 2, Oliver 2, Meyers 2.

3-pt. goals - McKinney 1, Hagedorn 1, Burwell 1.

Fouled out - None.

Technicals - Bench 1.

Halftime - Rio Hondo, 36-33.