Community College Basketball : Cypress Beats Santa Ana, 63-59

Cypress College won its third straight South Coast Conference game Monday night, defeating Santa Ana, 63-59, in Bill Cook Gymnasium in Santa Ana.

The Chargers (9-7 overall and 3-2 in the SCC) led from the start and held their biggest advantage at halftime, 35-23. The Dons (9-9 and 1-4) got to within two points, 59-57, with 32 seconds left when forward John Escobedo scored on a follow shot. But Cypress’ Paul Horn made two free throws after a deliberate foul with 30 seconds to go and Santa Ana never got closer.

The loss was the Dons’ fourth in a row.

Ron Bailey led the Chargers with a game-high 16 points. Jeff Martineau added 13 and Joe Berwick had 11 for Cypress. Scott Warner led Santa Ana with 14 points and Escobedo added 13. Don guard Jeff Hughes, the SCC’s second-leading scorer with a 19.5 average, fouled out with 5:23 left and had 12 points.

CYPRESS (63)--Bailey 16, Gerlach 2, Horn 4, Marusich 8, Swarner 2, Berwick 11, Martineau 13, Kramer 7.

SANTA ANA (59)--Lewis 6, Streavel 8, Hughes 12, Warner 14, Escobedo 13, McCall 2, Shaw 4.

Halftime--Cypress, 35-23. In other South Coast Conference action:

Fullerton 36, Golden West 35 (OT)--Michael Long’s two free throws with four seconds left clinched the win for the Hornets (9-9 and 3-2) in a slowdown game in Huntington Beach.

The Rustlers spread their offense and held the ball for the first 6:52 of the game before turning it over. Fullerton scored first on a free throw by Jim Smith with 11:35 left in the half. Golden West didn’t attempt its first field goal until there was 2:48 remaining in the first half.

The loss was the seventh straight for the Rustlers (7-12 and 0-6).

FULLERTON (36)--Smith 3, Trueman 6, Rollins 2, Samuelson 5, Long 15, Haymond 5.

GOLDEN WEST (35)--Lorigan 12, Love 4, Bruce 7, Smith 12, Debbs 0.

Halftime--Fullerton, 5-4.

Regulation--27-27.

Compton 77, Orange Coast 67--It was a must-win game for the favored Pirates (4-2, 13-7), but they played lethargically, trading an eight-point advantage in the first half for a 43-43 tie at halftime in Compton.

The upset hurts the Pirates’ chances of challenging Cerritos and Mt. San Antonio for the conference lead. Brad Farmer scored 17 points for Orange Coast, while Mark Goudge and Shaughn Ryan had 13 points each. Garinn Morton was the Pirates’ leading rebounder with 11.

OCC (67)--Goudge 13, Johnston 6, Morton 10, Ryan 13, Farmer 17, Toomey 2, Harrigan 2, Mullet 4.

COMPTON (77)--D. Johnson 12, Bullock 11, Stewart 14, R. Johnson 14, Fleming 24, Crawford 2.

Halftime--Tie, 43-43.

In South Coast Conference women’s action:

A second-half surge lifted the Fullerton College women’s basketball team to an 89-72 victory against Golden West at Fullerton.

Hornet center Diane Rockwood scored eight of her game-high 24 points early in the second half.

Fullerton (15-4) is tied for the conference lead with Saddleback at 5-1. Golden West is 2-5 in conference, 10-10 overall.

In other South Coast Conference action:

Orange Coast 89, Compton 79--Free throw shooting was an important factor in Monday’s game at OCC, as the Pirates made 17 of 23 foul shots while the Tartars (4-2, 7-10) managed just 5 of 14. Pirate guard Amy Hathcock made four late free throws to help preserve the victory. She and forward Tami Parker each scored 22 points, and center Mary Beth Thobe had 23 points and 11 rebounds. OCC raised its conference record to 5-1, and 14-4 overall.