Pirates hit 20-win mark after edging Tigers, 66-64

RIVERSIDE -- From a team that could barely place five players on the court just two short seasons ago, the Orange Coast College women's basketball team has returned to being a top-tier program in 2021-22 and with Thursday's 66-64 win over Riverside, the Pirates reached the 20-win mark for the first time in over a decade.

In addition to reaching the 20-win goal, head coach Sammy Doucette and her Pirates will advance to the postseason for the first time since the 2016-17 season.

"It's been an unforgettable year," Doucette said. "Every single team across the board has had to fight some sort of adversity. I am sure of that. But my team's ability to power through OUR adversity has been just so special to be a part of. I couldn't be more proud of how hard they battle every single day and how bought in they are. They did this ... I just sit, point, stand and yell. THEY did this."

Alexis Legan returned to the OCC lineup just in time, scoring a game-high 33 points with eight rebounds. Annie Trinh added 15 points and Karina Cabrera tossed in 13. Savannah Seiler led the Pirates with 10 rebounds, while the Pirate defense forced Riverside (12-14, 6-6) into 15 turnovers. 

Coast led 26-20 at the half before Riverside found some offensive success and pulled to within a point after three quarters, 43-42.

But the Pirates found their own offensive success with their big-three of Legan, Cabrera and Trinh and maintained their advantage throughout the final 10 minutes. Coast led 62-54 with 3:41 left before a late Riverside run made things interesting down the stretch.

In the final seconds, Riverside pulled to within two and forced a turnover, giving the Tigers the ball, but a costly turnover by the hosts gave Coast the opportunity to escape Riverside with the win.

OCC will now await to see where the playoffs will begin and against what opponent. Log on to www.occpirateathletics.com for the latest playoff information as it becomes available.