Pirates perfect in conference

college roundupIRVINE -- Orange Coast College’s women’s volleyball team clinched the Orange Empire Conference championship with a 30-17, 33-31, 30-27 victory over Irvine Valley on Friday night.

It marked Orange Coast’s first conference title since 2001.

Orange Coast, which kept its unbeaten season intact, has not lost any of its 54 games during any match this season. Irvine Valley’s only other conference loss this season came against the Pirates.

Kiwi Winkler and Joanna Johnson led the way with 18 kills each. Caitlin Parker tallied 40 assists and Ashlee Moon added 25 digs.

Orange Coast, which moved to 19-0 overall and 13-0 in conference, concludes its regular season with a home match against Santa Ana on Wednesday at 7 p.m. before heading into the regional playoffs.

“The Orange Empire Conference is so strong, to win it is quite an accomplishment,” Pirates Coach Chuck Cutenese said. “Our goal now is to make it to the state tournament.”

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Orange Coast 61,

Mount San Antonio 59

VENTURA -- Lance Ortiz drove the lane and hit a 4-foot bank shot with four seconds left in regulation time to lift the Pirates past Mount SAC into the championship game of the County Commerce Bank Classic at Ventura College.

Orange Coast will play either Ventura or San Diego City in the championship game today at 5 p.m.

Mykel Valentine led the way with 14 points, Ortiz tallied 12 points and Matt Davis added 10 points and six rebounds. Steve Cornett recorded seven points and Reggie Brown added five points and six rebounds for the Pirates (2-0).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Compton 70, Orange Coast 62

WALNUT -- Sophomores Crystal McCormick and Madison Parks scored 14 and 12 points, respectively, but it wasn’t enough for the Pirates in the first round of the Mount SAC Tournament on Friday.

Teeya Fernandez chipped in 11 points for OCC (1-1), which plays Fresno City College in the consolation semifinals today at 1 p.m.

Mount SAC Tournament

First round

Compton 70,

Orange Coast 62

Compton -- Washington 26, Brown 13, Barnes 11, Darring 7, Carothers 5, Hubbard 2, Winston 6.

3-pt. goals -- Washington 1.

Fouled out -- None.

Technicals -- None.

Orange Coast -- Denning 8, Fernandez 11, Hundley 2, McCormick 14, Castro 2, Maxwell 6, Wicks 7, Parks 12.

3-pt. goals -- Fernandez 1, McCormick 4.

Fouled out -- None.

Technicals -- None.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Orange Coast 5,

Irvine Valley 0

COSTA MESA -- Diana Johnson finished with a goal and two assists as the Pirates blanked a short-handed Irvine Valley team in an Orange Empire Conference regular season finale.

Kaitlyn Schuesler and Nichole Huff each scored in the first half for OCC (11-6-4, 11-3-2), as Huff tallied her team-leading seventh goal of the season. Johnson, Rachel Ronquillo and Ashley Boyer added goals in the second half.

Kara DeMille and Lindsey Shook split time in goal for the Pirates, neither needing to make a save.

WOMEN’S GOLF

Collegiate Match Play Championships

HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Fla. -- UC Irvine dropped its first match and was trailing in its second after the first day of the tournament at the Mission Inn Golf and Tennis Resort.

The Anteaters, seeded No. 16, lost their opening-round match to top-seed UCLA. Jane Chin won 3-and-2 against UCLA’s Ryann O’Toole for UCI’s lone win in the match, though Angela Won halved her match against Brianna Loyear.

In the afternoon competition, UCI was trailing Washington in four of the five matches when play was halted. Chin was three up on Sung Ea Lee through 14 holes.