WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Overcoming a poor start, the Ventura College women's basketball team defeated a talented Contra Costa squad 92-76 Saturday night to advance to their seventh straight VC-Kiwanis Tournament of Champions finals appearance. Adrianna Vega had the hot hand with 21 points, including five 3-pointers, and Madison O' Donnell came off the bench with a spark in the second half for VC (4-1) with 11 points and seven rebounds. Lisa Marie Sanchez netted 20 points with nine assists on the evening.
The Pirates were all out of sorts early in the contest, committing six turnover's in the game's first four minutes. VC trailed 4-0 before Cynthia Hernandez connected on a 4-point play to knot the score with 18:19 remaining in the first half. VC's second team came in strong and got the ball rolling, as Joi Moten connected for the next five points, giving the Pirates a 9-4 advantage. Ventura's lead stretched to seven points, 17-10 on a Brooke Dixon bucket at the 13:24 mark before the Comets came storming back.
Contra Costa went on a 12-3 run to take a 22-20 advantage, and stretched the lead to seven points, 29-22, at the 6:26 mark. Vega started the Pirate comeback with a 3-pointer on the next possession, and two free throws on the following trip down the floor. Another Vega triple in the final minute of the half and Sanchez's second buzzer-beater in as many nights gave Ventura a 40-39 halftime lead.
The first three minutes of the second half were close, with the Comets claiming a brief 48-46 margin at the 16:40 mark. A Sanchez triple started a 7-0 Pirate run over the next three minutes, and VC slowly gained control of the contest from that point on. Ventura connected for five 3-pointers over a 3-minute stretch in the middle of the period to take a 74-58 lead with 8:30 left in the contest and were never threatened the rest of the way, claiming the 92-76 victory.
Hernandez netted 15 points and Adrianne Sloboh had nine points with a team-high 12 rebounds and three assists. Dixon scored nine points with 11 boards.
Other tournament scores from Saturday included: Santa Monica 74, Laney 72 and Taft 101, Imperial Valley 44 in the consolation semifinals, and Canyons' upset win over No. 1 Mt. San Antonio 68-67 on the other semifinal match-up.
VC advances to the tournament championship against College of the Canyons on Sunday Dec. 1 at 4:00 pm at the Athletic Event Center.