The VC men's basketball team held a 68-67 advantage with 1:19 remaining in the game Wednesday at Moorpark before yielding the final five points of the contest in their narrow 72-68 defeat. The final five minutes of play had four lead changes and three ties between the evenly matched rivals. Carter Alexander led Ventura (9-10, 2-1) with 16 points and Kai Johnson netted 13. Reese Widerburg added 11 points while Landreau Tate contributed seven rebounds and four assists to the effort.
Ventura went ahead 8-6 early on Landreau Tate's lay-up before the Raiders knotted the score with 13:49 remaining in the first half. Moorpark hit a pair of free throws a minute later and held a slim advantage over the next six minutes of play. Widerburg hit a three at the 6:13 mark to tie the game at 23, but MC maintained their slim lead until Caleb Gilbert's lay-up off a Johnson assist made it 29-28 for the Pirates with 4:08 on the clock. The lead changed hands six times over the final four minutes of play in the first half with VC holding a 40-39 edge at intermission.
The Pirates trailed 41-40 early in the second half when they went on a 12-2 run to grasp a loose grip of control on the game. Tate's jumper at the 18:10 mark got the run started and Derrick Young followed with a putback basket inside. Dominik Contreras answered an MC two with a three and Widerburg scored a steal and lay-up on the ensuing possessions. Alexander then cashed in a Johnson dime for three with 13:40 on the clock for a 52-43 lead.
Gilbert stretched the margin to 56-45 with 12:03 left to play and Carter answered a Moorpark 3-pointer with his own shot from range to maintain the 11-point lead. Johnson connected for a 3-point play to keep the lead in double figures, 62-52, at the 9:03 mark before the Raiders went on a 12-0 run to retake the advantage. Widerburg's jumper ended the Pirate skid and tied the game at 64 with 3:30 remaining before MC hit a three on the next trip down the floor. Contreras then hit a lay-up and Tate made two free throws for the 68-67 Pirate lead, setting up the final Raider comeback.
Gilbert added six points, six rebounds and three assists to the VC effort while Tate added nine points to his other statistics. Alexander and Caleb Geisendorfer each pulled in four caroms.
VC returns home on Saturday Jan. 20 to host Los Angeles Pierce College at 5:00 pm.