Cougars Fall 74-56 to Orange Coast in Cougar Holiday Classic Finale
COC guards Victor Nwaba and Alex Sanchez each earned All-Tournament Team honors.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Orange Coast
6-8
|
34 | 40 | 74 |
|
Canyons
5-7
|
21 | 35 | 56 |
Team Stats
Orange Coast
| Game Statistics | Orange Coast | Canyons |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (27-62) | (20-55) |
| Field Goal % | 43.5% | 36.4% |
| Rebounds | 39 | 39 |
| Assists | 13 | 9 |
| Turnovers | 18 | 24 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 20 | 13 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 15 | 9 |
| Pts in the Paint | 44 | 26 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 8 | 0 |
| Bench Pts | 34 | 20 |
The College of the Canyons men's basketball team came up short in its bid to win the 26th Annual Cougar Holiday Classic, as the Cougars were defeated 74-56 by Orange Coast College in the tourney's championship game
Despite coming off a win against L.A. Trade Tech College the day before, the Cougars were unable to find their rhythm.
The Pirates exploded for a 20-4 run in the first half with the Cougars unable to ever fully recover from their 34-21 halftime deficit.
An strong surge in the second half brought Canyons to within four points of the Pirates, at 50-54. But Orange Coast simply could not be stopped, as they put together a 19-2 run to close out COC.
Canyons was led by sophomore guard Victor Nwaba who finished with a game-high 26 points. Nwaba shot 50 percent from the field and added four rebounds.
COC freshmen guards Tyler Hooks and Michael Farmer each had eight points off the bench. Farmer added seven rebounds, three steals, a block and an assist. Hooks had three rebounds, two assists and a steal of his own.
Guard Alex Sanchez had six points, six rebounds, three steals and two assists.
Nwaba and Sanchez each earned All-Tournament Team honors. Nwaba averaged 21 points per game in the tournament while Sanchez averaged 14.
College of the Canyons will return to action at 7 p.m. Wednesday Jan. 6, as the Cougars open Western State Conference, South play against Santa Monica College.
