Community College Roundup : Orange Coast Beaten in OT by Mt. SAC

Orange Coast College Coach Tandy Gillis didn’t have to tell reporters he had suffered through one of the toughest losses of his career Wednesday night.

The disconsolate, stunned expression on his face as he recounted the Pirates’ 66-62 overtime loss to Mt. San Antonio in Peterson Gym said it for him.

This was the kind of game that Gillis will have nightmares about--if he can ever get to sleep.

Orange Coast (4-3 in conference and 13-8 overall), which desperately needed a win to stay close behind South Coast Conference leader Cerritos and second-place Mt. San Antonio (5-1, 18-2), outplayed the Mounties most of the game and led by 13 points, 46-33, with 9:45 to play.

Then came the Great Collapse.

Orange Coast started turning the ball over and missing crucial free throws, and slowly, Mt. San Antonio rallied. A basket by guard Paul Leonard cut the Pirates’ lead to 54-53 with 1:57 left. Seconds later, Orange Coast guard Jon Johnston scored on a goal-tending call to make it 56-53, before Mt. San Antonio tied the game with 54 seconds left in regulation at 56-56 on a three-point play by forward John Bragg.

The game went into overtime, during which Orange Coast missed its first three shots. Forward Marvin Bailey’s basket gave Mt. San Antonio the lead for the first time since early in the game at 58-56 and Orange Coast never recovered.

In other South Coast Conference action:

Fullerton 86, Santa Ana 74--The Hornets used a full-court press to take 39-24 halftime lead and held on for the win at Fullerton.

Saddleback 89, Golden West 73--Alexander Hamilton scored 23 points and had 11 rebounds and had 10 assists to lead the Gauchos to the win over the Rustlers at Mission Viejo.

Cypress 65, Compton 52--The Chargers outscored the Tartars, 16-5, in the first six minutes of the second half and went on to win their fourth straight at Cypress.