The VC men's basketball team fell at home against Moorpark College 94-74 Wednesday night. Jeremiah Wilson led four Pirates in double figures with 21 points and Bo Dolinsek scored 18 points with a team-high eight rebounds. Kam'Ron Cigar recorded 16 points and three assists and Kevin Hymes came off the bench to total 10 points with seven boards and three helpers.
The Pirates got out to a quick start, jumping Moorpark with an 11-0 run to begin the game. cigar made a jumper on the first possession and Elijah Brown followed with a steal and lay-up. Dolinsek then hit a three before Wilson turned Brown's steal into another easy bucket. Finally, Cigar's steal led to a lay-up by Wilson for the 11-0 advantage 1:37 into the game.
Moorpark finally found the bottom of the net at the 16:34 mark and followed with a triple to quickly cut the VC lead to six. The Pirates maintained a 17-13 lead on Wilson's 3-pointer with 11:38 left in the first half and Hymes hit one of two free throws to hold off the Raiders, 18-16 midway through the period. Unfortunately, MC tied the game at 18-18, before Isaiah Dudley and Cigar sandwiched deuces around a Moorpark three for a 22-21 Pirate edge with 8:46 on the clock.
It was the Raiders' turn to catch fire at that point as they went on a 16-0 run over the next five minutes of game time. Dudley's free throw ended the skid but the damage had been done. Moorpark led 37-23 with 3:07 remaining and took a 43-24 advantage into halftime.
The Pirates made a run in the second half, but never really threatened the Raiders down the stretch. Wilson made a jumper at the 11:29 mark to pull VC to within a dozen, 59-47, and Dolinsek's lay-up made it 62-53 midway through the second half. Dolinsek then answered MC's three with his own make from range to maintain the nine-point deficit, but a pair of Roader buckets turned the tide against the Pirates. Hymes scored a lay-up with 5:07 remaining to make it a 10-point game, once again, 81-71, but MC again was able to hold off the charge.
Ventura next hosts Santa Barbara on Saturday Feb. 8 at 5:00 pm.