The Pirates' men's basketball team found themselves in a rare spot Wednesday, dropping their Western State Conference North Division contest to Moorpark 97-90 Wednesday at the Athletic Event Center. Marcus Watson scored 24 points and Anthony Garza dropped 20 in the setback while Kai Johnson put up 15 points. Watson added seven rebounds and five assists to the effort and Garza pulled in six boards. Johnson and Michael Noulowe each grabbed five caroms.
It was all Ventura early as the Pirates (14-5, 2-1) raced out to a 10-2 lead in the game's first four minutes. Johnson scored the first bucket of the contest, a 3-pointer from an assist by Watson, followed by a Watson lay-up. Watson then answered a Moorpark score with another field goal and Johnson hit again from beyond the arc for the early lead. Noulowe's three expanded the cushion to nine points a minute later, and Tony Njia scored from range to put VC ahead 22-11 with 11:56 remaining in the first half.
Aaron Dawoodjee cashed in Daniel Crocker's dime for another Pirate triple, moving the margin to 13 points, 33-20, with 6:53 on the clock, and VC withstood a mini-run by the Raiders that closed the margin to 36-31 at the 4:34 mark. Crocker's three, Garza's two and a deuce by Watson stretched the lead back to double-digits and Ventura led 49-39 at halftime.
The Pirates seemed firmly in control through the initial stages of the second half. Johnson made a three, then a pair of two's before Watson hit from range and scored a lay-up, stretching the VC lead to 19, 63-44, with 15:08 remaining. Garza's inside shot from a Johnson assist maintained the edge before the Raiders started their comeback. MC went on a 15-2 run over the next five minutes to close to within 67-61 at the 9:36 mark, and they pulled to within two, 75-73, with a triple with 6:52 remaining.
The Pirates held off the Raiders with scored from Noulowe and Garza, but MC managed to pull even at 78 with 5:27 left to play. Dawoodjee tied the game at 81 with a three, and Johnson's field goal at the 3:19 mark knotted the game again, but the Raiders were able to take the lead for good on the next possession. Ventura was within three points, 93-8-90, with 27 seconds remaining, appearing to have turned the Raiders over with a 10-second call in the back-court, but a VC foul sent Moorpark to the line, putting the game out of reach.
Noulowe finished the game with nine points while Crocker and Njia each scored seven. The Pirates played the game without leading scorer Adrian McIntyre, who missed the game due to injury.
Ventura next travels to Los Angles Pierce on Saturday Jan. 14. The Pirates and Brahmas will tip-off at 7:00 pm in Woodland Hills.