Coasters: Pirates already ready for next year

Steve Virgen

On the outside looking in, the Orange Coast College women’s

basketball team looked like a bunch of young gunners just happy to be one

win away from advancing to the state’s Final Eight. But if you could look

closer you would see a squad that was full of confidence. Sort of a

nothing-to-lose attitude, but add a swagger.

In the end, the Pirates realized they should have beaten host Los

Angeles Valley College.

But Markia Derby, a transfer from Pasadena City, dropped in a

five-foot bank-shot from the baseline with three seconds left to hold off

the Pirates, 69-68.

It didn’t help that the Monarchs shot 16 more free throws than OCC.

The Pirates committed 20 fouls to L.A. Valley’s 10, as the Monarchs shot

17 for 28 from the foul line and OCC was 10 for 12.

“I was really heartbroken,” said OCC team captain Kyra Melville, who

scored 18 points and was 8 for 10 from the free-throw line. “I felt our

team worked so hard this past month. To finish the conference 7-0 and to

be working so hard, it seemed like everything was taken from us.”

Derby’s shot, which gave her a game-high 24 points, resulted in a

dogpile three seconds later. However, the Monarchs appeared more relieved

than satisfied.

“OCC just wears you down,” said L.A. Valley Coach Mike Muro, who calls

Coast, “The Princeton of women’s community college basketball, because

they’re so disciplined.”

Muro was expecting three-point shooting from the Pirates, but he still

couldn’t stop them. OCC went 12 of 20 from beyond the arc.

The OCC women’s basketball team is expecting even higher accolades

next season ... if everyone returns. The Pirates, who started four

freshman and rotated four more off the bench, will be among the state’s

top teams next season.

Melville said there were no complaints of playing time, even though

Coach Mike Thornton made frequent substitutions in his game plans. She

said it would be a surprise if the four freshman starters did not return

to Coast next season.

Point guard Nancy Hatsushi, who earned All-OEC Team honors and Daily

Pilot College Athlete of the Month honors this season, will definitely

return, she said.

Hatsushi, like the rest of the Pirates, was obviously disappointed by

the one-point loss last week.

“It was the toughest loss this whole season because we played our best

and we lost,” said Hatsushi, who scored a team-high 20 points. She hit 6

of 9 three-pointers (67%) and she was 2 for 2 from the foul line.

“We could have went to Stockton,” she said. “I thought we had the

game. I was confident in the last minute. But it just didn’t go our way.

“(The loss) gives me confidence for next year. I know our team will be

good. Since we were so young, we didn’t have as much experience. But I’m

just excited for next year because we’ll be ready.”

Melville said OCC’s reserves, including Leigh Marshall, Cara Ducey,

Vanessa Johnson and Erin John, provided a great amount of motivation

throughout the season.

“They called themselves the Dream Team,” Melville said. “I don’t think

we would play as good without them because they are great motivators.”

Melville hopes her display of hard work becomes a lasting impression

at OCC. As a freshman, she hardly played and actually thought about

leaving the Pirates. But she returned and earned All-OEC Team honors, as

well as Daily Pilot College Athlete of the Week recognition.

“I want them to remember what hard work and dedication can do,” she

said “I was working hard my freshman year. If you work hard good things

can happen.”