No. 24 SAC Women’s Basketball Upsets No. 3 Orange Coast on the Road
February 19, 2025

No. 24 SAC Women’s Basketball Upsets No. 3 Orange Coast on the Road

No. 24 SAC knocked off No. 3 OCC in their OEC season finale on Wednesday night.

Box Score

COSTA MESA, Calif. - Anaya Beard put up monster numbers with 23 points and 20 rebounds while Larissa Robles made big plays throughout the game, finishing with 20 points and three assists to help the No. 24 ranked Santa Ana Women's Basketball team upset the No. 3 ranked Orange Coast Pirates on Wednesday night. 

It was an intense game throughout with neither team being able to completely pull away. The Dons got up by as many as 12 points (50-38) after Mia Rivera hit a buzzer beater three at the end of the third quarter. 

But the battle tested Pirates responded by switching to a 2-2-1 press which led to four Don turnovers in the fourth quarter while also knocking down more shots, hitting 46.2 percent from the field to go on a 17-2 run, taking a 55-52 lead. 

Although SAC didn't play well in the fourth, they executed down the stretch to finish the job. 

Beard picked up her 20th rebound on the offensive glass and put it back to cut the lead to one. The Dons then dropped back into a zone, which was a key adjustment by SAC Head Coach Flo Luppani. 

The zone led to a jump shot and a team rebound for SAC, giving them the stop they needed. On the ensuing possession, it was Robles who got a good look from three and drilled it to give her team a two point lead at 57-55.

Santa Ana continued to hold their ground on the defensive end with two more stops while Robles sealed the game with four free throws as she scored the final seven points to lift her team to a 60-55 win. 

The Dons have now hit 20 wins on the seasons which is the highest total since the 2001-2002 season. They will also finish at least fourth in the Orange Empire Conference rankings as they wait for the season to end on Friday.