Oxnard Hits Cold Spells in Loss to Santa Monica

The current holiday season has not been one of cheer for the Oxnard College basketball team.

Two nights ago, after serving a two-game suspension because of a run-in with officials during the Moorpark tournament, Remy McCarthy returned to the coaching ranks and saw his Condors blow a second-half lead and the game to El Camino.

And Wednesday night, it only got worse as Santa Monica humbled Oxnard, 82-63, in a nonconference game at Santa Clara High.

To add to the woes, the whipping was administered by McCarthy’s basketball coach at Camarillo High in 1974, John McMullen, who now leads the Corsairs.

Santa Monica (11-4) set the tone early, taking a 12-2 lead after the first five minutes.

“We played one of our best games of the season so far,” McMullen said. “We played very unselfish, alert, and we moved the ball well.”

Team play was certainly an important element for the Corsairs: Ten of 12 players scored and four reached double figures.

For Oxnard (9-7), it was a night of cold shooting.

Oxnard trailed, 37-31, at intermission, but forward Tim Thomas keyed a 6-0 run with two quick baskets as the Condors tied the score, 37-37, only 1 minute 5 seconds into the second half.

Then the Condors went as cold as the wind-whipped temperatures outside the gym and Santa Monica went on a 19-4 run that opened up the doors to the rout.

Oxnard suffered through three scoreless stretches in the second half that totaled 10 1/2 minutes.

McCarthy did not even consider the Condor run in the second half a significant part of the game.

“It was just a matter of time,” McCarthy said. “The first five minutes set the tone of the game and I didn’t get them ready to play. I’ve got to figure out something better for the next game.”

Thomas (15 points) and guard Shawn Talley (12) led Oxnard in scoring.