WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Game two followed a similar script for the Pirates' women's basketball team: a solid first half followed by a stagnant second. Only on Saturday the opponent, Pasadena, was able to overcome VC's halftime lead, sending the Pirates to their first defeat of the season, 75-70 in the semifinals of the Vaquero Shootout at Glendale College. Sophomore Lisa Marie Sanchez battled foul trouble late to lead Ventura (1-1) with 16 points and eight assists while Adrianna Vega hit four 3-pointers en route to 12 points. Adrianne Sloboh posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
The Pirates came out hot as Cynthia Hernandez and Brooke Dixon hit shots on VC's first two possessions. A score from Sloboh and a Dixon free throw followed giving Ventura a 7-0 lead with 16:33 remaining in the first half. Back-to-back 3-pointers fro Vega and a pair of Dixon buckets sandwiched around a field goal by Sanchez put the Pirates ahead 21-10 at the 12:41 mark. a four-minute scoring drought by VC allowed the Lancers back into the game, as PCC closed to within 21-16 with 9:06 on the clock. Sanchez broke the drought for Ventura, followed by a trey from Hernandez and the lead was back to double-digits. Pasadena hung tough for the remainder of the period, but Hernandez's bucket with 2.3 seconds left gave the pirates a 42-32 halftime margin.
Ventura played another solid first 20 minutes, hitting 56 percent of their field goal attempts (15-27) and 56 percent of their 3-point tries (5-9).
The second half was very similar to Friday's opening game for the Pirates. Pasadena came out with more energy, cutting the deficit to six points in the first minute. Ventura regrouped, however, and baskets by Hernandez and Sanchez restored the double-figure lead. The Lancers kept attacking, however, and they hit a 3-pointer from deep in the right corner to close to within 48-45 at the 16:35 mark. Micaela Pericone-Kapp answered for Ventura with her own triple, but the pattern had been set. While VC did what it could to answer each PCC charge, the Lancers were gaining ground.
The game took an unexpected turn at the 10:13 mark when Sanchez was whistled for an offensive foul, her fourth of the game. That forced her to the bench with the Pirates ahead 60-54, and the tone of the Pirate attack changed considerably. Ventura was unable to get much traction offensively for the rest of the contest connecting on but one field goal in the final 10 minutes of the game. Pasadena tied the score at 68-68 with 2:53 on the clock, but a SLoboh free throw gave the Pirates a slim lead on the next possession. Pasadena tied the score again with their own free throw with 1:45 on the clock and took the lead for good with a bucket at the 1:17 mark. Unable to equalize, VC was forced to foul Pasadena in the closing minute to make the final score 75-70.
VC had five players in double-figures. Hernandez and Dixon each scored 11 points, respectively to go along with Sanchez, Vega and Sloboh. Pericone-Kapp netted nine points. Dixon pulled in six rebounds for VC while Sloboh and Hernandez each registered two assists.
The Pirates will play Fullerton College in the third place game of the tournament on Sunday Nov. 24 at 2:00 pm at Glendale College.