A day after pushing the state's No. 1-ranked team to the brink before falling on a last second shot, the Pirates' men's basketball team had a difficult time regrouping, falling 83-54 to tournament host Antelope Valley in the third place game of the Gregg Anderson Memorial Tournament in Lancaster Sunday. Jacob Alonzo was the lone Pirate in double figures with 18 points, earning all-tournament honors.
Ventura (9-4) held the early advantage on the Marauders, opening up a 12-5 advantage when Alonzo sank a 3-pointer with 13:35 left to play in the first half. The Marauders scored the next seven points, however, to tie the game just two minutes later. The game went back-and-forth for most of the remainder of the half with five ties and seven lead changes. Alonzo hit a 3-pointer with 3:24 on the clock to put VC ahead 30-28 before AVC converted a 4-point play to retake the lead. That began an 11-3 Antelope Valley run to close the period as the Marauders took a 39-33 advantage into halftime.
The Pirates could not get untracked in the second half as AVC went on a 15-2 run over the first five minutes of play to take control of the game. VC was not really in the game from that point on, falling to the tournament hosts, 83-54.
Alonzo added three steals to his point total, and Isiah Reyes scored seven points with three assists. Terrell Handy-Johnson also netted seven points for the Pirates.
Ventura will take the next week off from play in preparation for final exams before returning to the hardwoods on Dec. 15-18 at the Kirby Mannon Pepsi / Wyndham Hotel Tournament at the College of the Sequoias in Visalia. VC opens with Pasadena City College on Friday Dec. 15 at 6:00 pm.