In the first game of the new year, and the first game at home in nearly two months, the VC men's basketball team dropped a 97-68 decision to visiting Riverside City College Tuesday night at the Athletic Event Center. Vida Faniel had a double-double of 16 points and 15 rebounds to lead Ventura (9-8) while Eddie Cowan had a season-high 10 points and a team-high six assists in the contest.
The teams traded blows in the early going with four lead changes in the first eight minutes of play before Riverside opened up a 21-13 advantage with 10:48 left to play in the first half. The Pirates came back with a 7-0 run on a deuce and trey from Calvin Young and a bucket by Deryck Harvey to cut the lead to one point, 21-20. The Tigers responded with back-to-back 3-pointers, but the Pirates kept charging.
VC went on a 10-2 spurt from that point on, beginning with a Cordel Hankerson lay-up. Cowan followed with a basket, and Faniel answered an RCC score with two points on the other end of the floor. Taylor Sturgeon made a bucket assisted by Cowan and Faniel scored again to give Ventura a 30-29 lead with 5:29 remaining. The lead changed hands three more times over the next three minutes before Riverside closed the half on an 8-2 run. The Pirates trailed at intermission, 39-33.
Each team scored on its first two possessions of the second half, Ventura on a jumper by Trevor LaCount and a triple from Faniel. Riverside asserted some semblance of control at that point with a 6-0 run to make the score 50-38 with 15:28 remaining in the contest. The Pirates made multiple runs at the Tigers over the next five minutes, but could not reduce the deficit past seven points. The Tigers finally pulled away in the last 10 minutes of the game posting the 97-68 decision.
Young and Hankerson had 13 and 12 points, respectively, for the Pirates in the game. Cowan pulled in four rebounds.
VC travels to Canyons on Thursday Jan. 5 for a 7:00 pm date with the Cougars before completing its non-conference schedule Wednesday Jan. 11 at Santa Monica.