New roster, no problem: Orange Coast repeats as 3C2A Women's Basketball State Champs

(WALNUT) -- When sophomore Bridgette McIntyre transferred to Orange Coast College in the off season, she made a bold prediction to her head coach Sammy Doucette. 

"Bridgette promised me that we were going to win another state championship, and sure enough she fufilled that promise," Doucette remarked. 

On Sunday, McIntyre scored 18 points, making five 3-pointers, and added three assists and three steals as Orange Coast captured its second consecutive 3C2A Women's Basketball Championship, defeating Glendale, 71-60. McIntyre was named tourney MVP while another all-tourney player Ashari Cassell scored 19 points with four assists and three steals. 

Jordan Arreola added 12 points (three triples) and five boards while Alyssa Dreesen contributed eight points and nine rebounds. The team's fifth starter Myia Collins had one point and a steal but also played outstanding defense. Semifinals' hero Sabrina Lopez contributed 13 points and six rebounds off the bench.

"This title was so much harder than last year because we had a brand new roster,"  said Doucette, who saw her squad become just the ninth team in tourney history to repeat as champions. "We were waiting all year for all five of our starters to give equally good performances and they picked the right time to do it."

"I think we carried some of the momentum from the semifinals (win over Moorpark), but also there was a familiarity in playing a team we beat before. That helped our players to just say okay, we know what we are facing."

The South #3 seed Pirates (30-3) put bookends on the last two losses of the season for #2 Glendale (the first a 71-66 win on Dec. 2) in once again scoring the most points v. the state's top defense in the Vaqueros, totaling 71 points for the second time in two meetings. The Vaqueros ran off a 25-game win streak before the Pirates eclipsed it. 

McIntyre had a family link to winning the championship.

"My older sister Meghan (McIntyre) was my inspiration for this moment," said McIntyre of her sibling who won the title last year with OCC. "Ever since I saw our work ethic, I knew we had something special, especially how amazing our coaching staff is. I was tearing up in there. A 19-year-old winning state. I can't ask for anything more."

Glendale received a game-high 24 points by Patil Yaacoubian, who made six long-distance baskets while adding four steals, coming off the bench. Osanna Tirityan added 15 points and nine rebounds while Malia Ulery had 12 points and five assists. The Vaqueros first trip to the state tourney was a memorable one as they finish the season 30-3.

"Orange Coast came out ready to go, and we didn't handle the pressure very well," said Glendale head coach Joel Weiss. "We got as much as we possibly could have out of this group. I love our players because they worked so hard and reached their potential. They were all about team first, and that carried us."

In the first quarter, the Pirates got red-hot from the the outside as Cassell drilled three straight shots and Lopez swished a trey for a 17-4 lead with 3:44 remaining in the period. A jumper by Dreesen was the final basket as OCC led 21-8 after 10 minutes.

In the second quarter, Glendale's defense made it harder for OCC to take the open shot while the Vaqueros climbed back in with eight straight points. A triple by Yaacoubian was followed by a period of more than four minutes of no scoring. Glendale's Paula Gorgeiz was able to get off an attempt off the rim as the shot clock expired allowing Evelyn Birau to be Joni-on-the-spot as she grabbed the offensive board, hit the lay-up, was fouled and completed the basket-and-one.

Then Yaacoubian drove for a layup that cut it to 24-19 with 2:29 left in the period.

Orange Coast responded as Cassell sank a three and the team made three free throws in the final two minutes to carry the Pirates into halftime, up 28-22.

In the third quarter, the Pirates blew it open, outscoring Glendale, 26-10. McIntyre scored eight points in the period as OCC led 54-32. 

The Pirates built the lead to 28 points, 64-36, on a corner three by Arreola with 6:16 left. Glendale refused to quit and put up an impressive 14-0 run capped by Tirityan's 3-pointer with 1:06 left that sliced the large lead to 67-57. But it was too little, too late.

Lopez said, "We worked so hard for this moment, and we knew that was going to be a face of adversity not having that experience. We just wanted to write our own story. We wanted it so bad and after the semis we just wanted to play one more game together."

Orange Coast finished the season on a 20-game winning streak. This was the first All-SoCal final since Mt. San Antonio beat East Los Angeles in 2016.

ALL-3C2A STATE TOURNAMENT TEAM
MVP-Bridgette McInytre, Orange Coast
Ashari Cassell, Orange Coast
Sabrina Lopez, Orange Coast
Patil Yaacoubian, Glendale
Malia Ulery, Glendale
Rebecca Saidoff, Moorpark
Campbell Vieg, Butte

Release by Robert Lewis, 3C2A State Tourney Women's Basketball SID/CCCWBCA Publicist