In a highly contested game between the mentor and the student, the student won out Friday in Riverside. VC head coach Joey Ramirez played for Riverside head coach and VC Hall of Famer Phil Mathews in Ventura, and Ramirez's Pirates captured the 75-74 victory at RCC with Marcus Watson's 3-point play with 20.3 seconds remaining in the game. Adrian McIntyre scored 30 points in the game and Michael Noulowe had a huge block on the Tiger's last-second shot to preserve the triumph.
Ventura (12-4) came out of the gate quickly with a 6-0 lead on buckets from Kai Johnson, Anthony Garza and McIntyre. Johnson scored a lay-up to give VC a 20-10 advantage and McIntyre's three on the next possession stretched the margin to 11 points with 11:26 left in the first half. RCC slowly worked their way back into the game, moving to within 32-27 when Aaron Dawoodjee and Watson hit back-to-back field goals to hold off the Tigers at the 2:32 mark. Noulowe nailed a shot from range to stretch the lead back to double-figures in the final minute of the period before two Riverside free throws made the halftime score 43-35 for Ventura.
RCC closed to within two points, 46-44, within the firs three minutes of the second half before a McIntyre lay-up and a Tony Njia three stretched the lead back to seven with 15:04 remaining in the game. Ventura maintained the edge with a McIntyre lay-up assisted by Garza midway through the half, and Daniel Crocker's 3-pointer made in an eight point game less than a minute later. The Pirates maintained a five point cushion, 66-61, with 4:44 on the clock on Johnson's made jumper, but the Tigers clawed back to take a 69-68 lead just over a minute later. RCC's edge stretched to 74-40 in the final minute of play setting the stage for the Pirate comeback.
McIntyre cashed in Watson's dime for two with 49 seconds remaining before Johnson rebounded a Tiger miss on the next trip down the floor. Watson, in turn, drove for two and drew a foul with 20.3 seconds on the clock, converting the free throw for the old-fashioned 3-point play and a 75-74 VC lead. Riverside worked the clock down and took a spinning jumper from the right short corner in the closing seconds before Noulowe sent the shot sailing out of bounds with 0.4 seconds left. RCC's desperation tip attempt on the ensuing inbound play went off the mark to preserve the VC win.
Watson had a double-double with 11 points, including the game-winner, and 10 rebounds to go along with three assists. McIntyre added five boards and four dimes to his 30-point night and Johnson scored 10 points with eight caroms. Crocker added seven points off the bench.
Ventura begins Western State Conference North Division play on Wednesday Jan. 3 at Oxnard. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 pm after the VC-OC women's game at 5:00 pm.