MEN'S BASKETBALL: A slow start for the Pirates' men's basketball team forced them into a comeback situation Friday afternoon in the first round of the Pepsi-Holiday Inn Tournament at the College of the Sequoias in Visalia. The pirates were down 33-22 at halftime against Cerritos before closing the gap in the second half, but VC never got over the hump in the 62-61 loss. Vondel Faniel led Ventura (6-7) with 14 points while Jon McMurry and Jalen young netted 12 and 11 points, respectively.
The Pirates fell behind to the tune of 10-2 in the games opening minutes, with turnovers and missed shots leading to Cerritos' 11 point lead at the break. Faniel paced the Pirates, scoring six of his team-high 14 points in the first half.
Ventura woke up after halftime, going on a 14-3 run thanks to swing man McMurry and Faniel in the paint. The pair combined for 20 second half points. The quick start took five minutes and the game was up for grabs for the final 15 minutes of play. Turnovers and missed opportunities stalled the Pirate run, and VC fought to stay even the rest of the way. A few late 3-pointers, including one from Rodney Bryant with a second left to play, cut the Falcon advantage to 62-61 as time ran out.
VC takes on the Porterville Pirates on Saturday Dec. 21 at 1:00 pm in the consolation semifinals at COS.he Porterville Pirates on Saturday Dec. 21 at 1:00 pm in the consolation semifinals at COS.