Cypress, CA - The Cypress Chargers (19-5, 6-1 OEC) avenged their sole conference loss against the Orange Coast Pirates (13-10, 4-3 OEC), cruising to a 82-54 victory to stay on top of the conference.
The Chargers shot an efficient 54.8% from the field, including 52.6% from three-point range, while the defense stifled the Pirates to 37.7% and forced them to 31 turnovers. The victory was an overall team effort as five players scored in double figures. Lizette Martinez led the team with 14 points while Alyssa Movchan had 11 points and three steals. Michelle Wu led the way for the Pirates with 15 points and three assists.
The opening quarter started off slow as neither team managed to get a bucket until Sarah Nunes of Orange Coast made a layup two minutes into the quarter. The two teams stayed relatively close until the Chargers went on a 10-0 run to take a 12-4 lead halfway into the quarter. Alyssa Movchan was fouled at as time expired and made both her free throws to give Cypress a 19-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Chargers executed their game plan in the second quarter, playing high intensity defense and finding open shots. They held Orange Coast to 30% from the field and held them to 10 shot attempts. After the Pirates managed to close the gap to 19-16, the Chargers went on a 20-5 run to end the quarter. The Pirates managed to make a layup in their final possession as the Chargers entered the break with a 39-23 lead.
Martinez shot a three-pointer to give the Chargers a 20-point lead with just over five minutes remaining in the third quarter. The Chargers maintained control and cruised to a 28-point victory.
The women's basketball team will resume action on the road Wednesday, February 3rd against Irvine Valley and return home on Friday, February 5th to host Saddleback at 5:00 PM.
Stay connected with the Chargers through social media. Follow Cypress College Athletics on Twitter @CypressChargers. Check in with the Chargers on Facebook/CypressChargers and on Instagram @CypressChargers.
