The Pirates' men's basketball team used a 15-0 run early to break away from host Santa Barbara Wednesday in VC's 82-65 victory. Anthony Garza led four Pirates in double figures with 16 points and Daniel Crocker netted 13. Aaron Dawoodjee and Marcus Watson netted 14 and 12 points, respectively, while Kai Johnson added nine in the balanced effort for Ventura (16-5, 4-1).
The Vaqueros briefly held a 4-2 advantage early before back-to-back triples by Johnson and Dawoodjee started a 15-0 run for the Pirates. Garza followed by cashing in a dime from Watson and Crocker scored on an offensive rebound and putback, then converting a free throw for a 3-point play. Crocker and Johnson then netted deuces on consecutive possessions and VC led 17-4 with 14:16 remaining in the first half. SBCC clawed back to 25-15 midway through the period when Adrian McIntyre, Garza, Kordell Gordon and Watson all scored for an 8-2 run. Watson's jumper at the 4:20 mark stretched the lead to 21, 39-18. Ventura led 48-26 at halftime.
The Pirates maintained, and expanded their advantage through the first 10-plus minutes of the final half. Dawoodjee scored a two and a three for a 66-40 lead at the 11:28 mark of the period, and Watson's 3-pointer with 9:30 on the clock made it a 30-point game, 71-41. Despite the 9-0 Santa Barbara run that followed, the Pirates maintained control of the game, holding a 25-point edge, 78-53 on Gordon's lay-up with 4:21 remaining. Crocker scored inside at the 2:25 mark for an80-58 lead before the Vaquero's closed the game on a 7-2 run for the final 82-65 score.
Garza led a 41-29 Pirate rebounding edge with seven boards while Watson, Johnson and Crocker all pulled in six caroms. Watson handed out seven assists in the game and Johnson dropped five dimes.
Ventura next will host conference-leading Allan Hancock on Wednesday Jan. 25. The game with the Bulldogs is slated to begin at 7:00 pm after the VC women's game at 5:00 pm.