Canyons in Drought Condition : Men’s basketball: Cougars score only 20 points during the first half of a 73-57 home loss to Moorpark and fall to 5-8.

It’s not often that a team has a dry spell for an entire half.

But College of the Canyons experienced one Wednesday night at home against Moorpark.

“I can’t remember a time when we have only scored 20 points in a half,” Canyons Coach Lee Smelser said.

Not that Smelser would want to remember any of Canyons’ play in a 73-57 Western State Conference interdivision loss.

“Heading into the (winter) break, it’s disappointing to get embarrassed like this,” Smelser said.

Moorpark (9-5) didn’t exactly shoot the lights out in the first half, but Jaime Jaquez stole an inbounds pass and made a jump shot at the buzzer to give Moorpark a 26-20 lead and some momentum for the second half.

Moorpark used a 20-5 second-half run to take a 50-30 lead with 9 minutes 35 seconds remaining.

Moorpark’s Paul Foster scored 18 points and took 13 rebounds. His brother, Nick, added 11 points and eight rebounds.

Moorpark outrebounded Canyons, 54-37.

“Once we got our running game going, everything worked out,” Moorpark Coach Al Nordquist said. “Both teams were pretty flat at the start tonight.”

Canyons center Marrcel Crain sat out the second half because of flu.

The Cougars (5-8) reduced a 20-point Moorpark lead to 13 with four minutes remaining but could get no closer.

Forward Norris Dorsey led Canyons with 17 points and six rebounds.

“When the ball doesn’t fall in everything looks terrible,” Smelser said. “Our rebounding was disappointing, our shooting was disappointing and I wasn’t happy with our defense.”

Canyons went almost six minutes without a basket during one stretch of the first half. Guard Malik Clark ended the spell with a short jump shot with just over 10 minutes left.