COMMUNITY COLLEGE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : OCC Rolls Past Grossmont to Advance

Heather Brannan and Colleen Hatch each scored 16 points as Orange Coast defeated Grossmont, 82-45, in the first round of the Coast Christmas Classic at OCC.

Orange Coast (10-3) opened a 37-17 lead at the half and had little trouble in the second half. Stacey Giem added 14 points, including two three-pointers, for OCC, and Carrie Elsaesser had nine rebounds. Grossmont fell to 4-7.

Orange Coast plays El Camino at 7 tonight. El Camino upset L.A. Valley, 59-52, in another first-round game.

Chaffey plays San Diego Mesa at 5 p.m. in the other championship semifinal game. The tournament concludes Sunday with the championship game at 4 p.m.

In another Orange Coast women’s Christmas Classic game:

Chaffey 66, Fullerton 64--Monique Grace scored 20 for Fullerton, but missed a short shot that would have forced overtime for Fullerton (6-5).

Chaffey (10-4) led at the half, 38-29. Hollie Keeton had 14 points and 18 rebounds. Sandy Bodnar also scored 12 for Fullerton.

Fullerton plays Ventura at 1 p.m. today in one consolation-round game.

In the Riverside Candy Cane tournament:

Southwestern 80, Saddleback 77 (OT)--Saddleback’s loss in overtime was only the second for the Gauchos (12-2) this season. The teams were tied, 73-73, at the end of regulation.

Sophomore center Erin Schimeneck led Saddleback with 24 points, but she and sophomore guard Stephanie Moorman fouled out. Moorman, who scored 30 points in an 88-19 first-round victory over Los Angeles Southwest on Thursday, had 14.

Heidi Sorour had 16 and Danielle Silva added 14 for Saddleback, which plays Pasadena for third place at 5 tonight.

Riverside defeated Pasadena, 66-52, in the other championship semifinal and plays Southwestern at 7 tonight for the title.