OCC Comes Up Short in Overtime

Orange Coast finally set a goal it couldn’t reach in the quarterfinals of the state community college women’s basketball tournament Thursday at Concordia.

The Pirates, who missed three shots in the final eight seconds of regulation, lost in overtime to De Anza, 87-79.

The loss left OCC a victory short of its quest of advancing to the semifinals at the Bren Center today.

OCC began to set goals midway through the Orange Empire Conference race after a two-point loss to Fullerton. After that, the players said they were going to win the final seven conference games and reach the state tournament.

OCC did both and the third goal seemed assured when Adria Sortino made a three-pointer with 41 seconds left in regulation to give OCC a 71-67 lead.

But De Anza’s Kerri Dunn made two free throws with 32 seconds left and OCC guard Jennifer Ludwicki’s turnover on a poor pass led to the tying basket by Lois Harris with 17 seconds left.

OCC’s final chance to win it was frustrating. Sortino was knocked to the floor as she missed a three-pointer. Ludwicki and Ani Sarydarian got rebounds but missed inside shots amid a great deal of contact by both teams.

De Anza (29-7) scored the first eight points in overtime, including three-pointers by Dunn (21 points) and Jane Riley (26 points).

“The fact that we missed easy opportunities to win it at the end of regulation,” OCC Coach Mike Thornton said, “carried over into overtime. When it didn’t happen, I think we were really, really down.”

Ludwicki finished her record-setting season with a game-high 33 points, but was seven of 23 shooting, including two of 18 on three pointers. Her two three-pointers gave her 101 this season and she finished with an OCC single-season record 827 points, the second highest total in Orange County history.

Natalie Weeks, a freshman center, made 12 of 22 shots and scored a season-high 26, and had 14 rebounds for OCC.

Ludwicki was apologetic about letting down her teammates, but said this was also the best season of basketball she has ever had.

“I loved this team on and off the court,” she said, “The team’s not all me. everybody did great. We feel like we could have gone farther.”