Chargers Snap Pirates’ Streak in Thrilling Comeback Win

CYPRESS, CA – The Cypress Chargers handed the Orange Coast Pirates their first Orange Empire Conference loss in dramatic fashion, taking a hard-fought 73-69 victory on Don Johnson Court in front of an electric Friday night crowd.

After falling to the Pirates in their first matchup, the Chargers were determined to flip the script. Orange Coast came out strong offensively, grabbing an early lead. But Cypress found their spark off the bench, as Juliette Colon and Journie Hayden knocked down key three-pointers to shift momentum. On the defensive end, the Chargers locked in, holding the Pirates to just 1-7 from beyond the arc and outscoring them 23-19 to enter halftime trailing by only five.

The second half was a battle of possessions, with Christaesha Jackson dominating the paint and controlling the boards to keep Cypress within striking distance. Down by four in the final quarter, the Chargers turned up the intensity. Andrea Lopez buried a clutch three to cut the deficit to one (58-57), and moments later, Jackson sent the crowd into a frenzy by tying the game at 64-64. She then grabbed a defensive rebound and pulled up for a jumper to give Cypress their first lead of the night.

With the Pirates pressing in the final seconds, Hayden extended the lead with a mid-range jumper. Orange Coast answered with a three-pointer, pulling within one (70-69) with 30 seconds remaining. But the Chargers had the final say—Jackson found Kalysa Ng behind the arc, who drained the game-sealing three-pointer to snap the Pirates' seven-game winning streak.

Jackson led the way with 17 points and eight rebounds, while Hayden added 21 points off the bench. 

UP NEXT: The Chargers will look to build on this momentum as they continue conference action next week at Irvine Valley College. The game tips off at 5:00pm on Wednesday, February 5.

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