Community Colleges : Speed Slows Cypress as OCC Ends Its Losing Streak, 53-51

LaMont Speed could have pulled back Wednesday, but instead the Orange Coast College forward opted for the aggressive move. It paid off in a 53-51 victory over host Cypress in an Orange Empire Conference men’s basketball game.

With the score tied, 51-51, Speed got an offensive rebound 10 feet from the basket with 13 seconds left. Instead of setting up for another shot, Speed took the ball right back up, making his jumper with 9 seconds left.

Cypress inbounded the ball to guard Mike Varos, but he was trapped and passed to Andre Lamoureux 20 feet from the basket. The OCC defense, having six fouls to give, surrounded Lamoureux and Dareck Crane stole the ball as time ran out.

The victory snapped a five-game losing streak for OCC and put the Pirates (20-8 overall, 5-6 in conference play) back in the race for third place and the final automatic playoff berth from the conference.

Riverside (25-8, 10-1) clinched the conference title two weeks ago. Rancho Santiago defeated Saddleback, 63-60, Wednesday to clinch second place. OCC and Cypress (14-16, 5-6) are tied for third. OCC plays host to Riverside and Cypress is at Golden West Saturday in the final game of the regular season.

Cypress led, 23-21, at halftime and built the lead to 47-41 with 7:09 remaining, but OCC outscored the Chargers, 12-4, the rest of the way.

OCC tied it, 49-49, on a 10-foot jumper by Derek Johnson with 2:20 left in the game and 2 seconds left on the 45-second clock.

Lamoureux had a layup with 1:39 remaining to give Cypress a 51-49, but OCC tied it again on a jumper by Crane with 58 seconds left.

Crane led OCC with 14 points. Johnson had 12 and Speed 10. Varos had 18 points, Vince Hizon 11 and Lamoureux and Mike Reid 10 each for Cypress.

Rancho Santiago 63, Saddleback 60--Sophomore guard Chris Martin made a three-pointer with 4 seconds left and Rancho Santiago (18-10, 8-4) won to clinch second place. Martin finished with 12 points. Mike Hunter had 10 and Gene Altamirano, Tony Smalley and Alvin Loftis scored eight each.

Wun Versher and Antone Keyes scored 12 points each, Sean Keyes 11 and Vincent Mason and Bradd Heckman had 10 each for Saddleback (10-17, 3-8), which led, 35-28, at the half.

Fullerton 81, Golden West 80--Ralph Tallant made a three-pointer from the top of the key with 3 seconds left to lift visiting Fullerton (19-10, 4-7). Golden West led, 79-78, with 14 seconds remaining when Markus Muller-Stach was fouled. He made the front end of a one-and-one but missed the second, allowing Fullerton to get the ball.

Mike Keith scored 22, Mike Goff 18 and Tallant 16 for Fullerton. Muller-Stach scored 19, Alex Kreps 15 and Steve Moser 13 for Golden West.