Pirates struggle in loss to Tigers
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Riverside (14-6, 7-2) | 45 | 27 | 72 |
|
Orange Coast (4-12, 0-6) | 27 | 24 | 51 |
COSTA MESA -- The Orange Coast College men's basketball finished up and home-and-home series with Riverside City College on Monday night, with the Pirates falling to the visiting Tigers, 72-51, inside the Peterson Gym.
The bigger, taller Tigers (14-6, 7-2 in the Orange Empire Conference) took advantage of their size and quickness to gain a sizeable advantage on the glass as they finished out-rebounding the Pirates, 57-30.
Jydon Hall led the OCC offense with 18 points, but the 5-foot-9 guard also was tied for the team lead with six rebounds to go along with four assists. Logen Howard added 11 points. Coast did hit nine 3-pointers and was a perfect 8-of-8 from the free-throw line, but struggled from the floor (28.8% shooting) for the night.
Four players had double-figures in RCC's scoresheet, including Melvin Walker, who led the way with 15 points. Zekiah LoVett and Robert Ayala each added 13 points, while Amir Davis tossed in 12.
Coast got off on the wrong foot early and never could recover as the Tigers jumped out to a 25-6 advantage midway through the first half and never looked back.
Game 2 of OCC's three-game homestand this week will take place on Wednesday against Saddleback, beginning at 5 p.m.
