Men’s Basketball: Cypress handles Pirates

CYPRESS — What should have been the capper to a satisfying season instead became a week of regret for the Orange Coast College men’s basketball team.

On the heels of a three-game winning streak, their longest of the season, the Pirates came into their final two Orange Empire Conference games with a shot at second place and a 7-4 conference record that would have been their best since the 2005-06 season.

Instead, they lost two games by a combined 48 points, the latter an 82-59 setback at Cypress College on Friday to finish 8-16, 6-6 in conference.

They did manage to hold onto sole possession of third place in the OEC, their best finish in at least seven seasons, but it was hard for Coach Steve Spencer to feel anything but let down after being trounced by the Chargers (11-16, 4-8).

“It was absolutely disappointing,” Spencer said of a game in which OCC bolted to a 17-10 advantage, but ultimately succumbed to a barrage of 13 three-pointers by the hosts.

Cypress posted its second-best scoring output of the season, its best in conference play.

“I thought we had improved as a team [8-4 during a stretch capped by the aforementioned three-game win streak], but this last week, we were really bad,” Spencer said. “We didn’t play with any energy or any heart and we had no execution.

“I thought Cypress did a good job, but we didn’t play hard and we didn’t play together. That was an unfortunate way to end our season.”

The Pirates used four three-pointers in the first five minutes to jump on top, but Cypress parlayed nine first-half three-pointers into a 46-32 halftime advantage and never looked back.

The Chargers, who had lost five of their previous six games, made half of their attempts from beyond the arc before intermission and finished 13 for 29 for the game (44.8%) from threedom. They led by as many as 27.

OCC shot 36% for the game and lost the rebounding and turnover battle (37-32 and 15-13, respectively).

Freshman Davasyia Hagger had 11 points and 10 rebounds, but was four for 11 from the field and three for nine from the foul line, as OCC missed 13 of its 31 free-throw attempts (58.1%).

Brad Buchignani led the Pirates with 13 points and four steals, while fellow sophomore guard Henry Nguyen had 10 points on four-of-seven shooting.

Freshman DeAndre Page had six points and a team-best four assists and along with twin brother Deion and Hagger represents a solid corps of potential returners.

The 6-foot-6 Hagger, an all-conference receiver in football last fall, already has basketball scholarship offers at four-year schools below the Division I level, Spencer said. Hagger, who began his collegiate athletic career as a football walk-on at Oregon, figures to be recruited for football also and he has said he will pursue whatever sport provides the best opportunity.

The Pirates’ inability to defend cost them any opportunity to claim a winning conference record. OCC struggled to close out on shooters and was also burned for numerous uncontested layups. Its inability to stick with the Chargers resulted in just 12 fouls, just three in the second half until the final two minutes.

“All year, defense was a struggle for us,” Spencer said. “So many times this year we were fired up for offense and not for defense. Our defensive effort all year wasn’t consistent.”

Jerred Cook led the winners with 19 points, including five three-pointers, while Jordan Fleck collected 17 points and 13 rebounds for the hosts.

Brian Robbs, a Cypress freshman out of Newport Harbor High, came off the bench to chip in eight points and four rebounds, making four of seven field-goal tries.

Sean Comer, a freshman out of Costa Mesa, made his only three-point attempt and added an assist for the Chargers.

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Orange Empire Conference

Cypress 82, Orange Coast 59

OCC – Hagger 11, Buchignani 13, Nguyen 10, DeA. Page 6, Dei. Page 3, Metdals 6, Estrada 4, Tomaselli 3, McGrath 3.

3-pt. goals – Nguyen 2, Buchignani 2, Tomaselli 1.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – Hagger 1.

CC – Fleck 17, Taylor 2, Cook 19, Wright 9, Kelly 8, Barrera 9, Robbs 8, Payne 7, Comer 3.

3-pt. goals – Cook 5, Fleck 2, Barrera 2, Wright 1, Kelly 1, Comer 1, Payne 1.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – Taylor 1.

Halftime – 46-32, CC.