WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: With every player hitting the scoring column for the first time this season in the same game, the Pirates' women's basketball team posted a strong 94-58 team win over Southwestern College in the opening round of the VC-Optimist Club Holiday Tournament. VC (13-3) also had 25 assists as a team on their 31 made field goals. On her 20th birthday, Cynthia Hernandez led four players in double figures with 18 points while Brooke Dixon had a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds. Adrianne Sloboh and Micaela Pericone-Kapp netted 15 and 11 points, respectively and Lisa Marie Sanchez dished out 11 assists.
The Jaguars had the touch early, keeping the game close in the first 10 minutes. A Southwestern field goal at the 11:16 mark cut the Ventura lead to a deuce, 19-17 before the Pirates went on a decisive 22-2 run over the next seven minutes. Sanchez assisted a 3-pointer by Pericone-Kapp followed by another Sanchez helper to Makayla Morrison cutting to the basket for a lay up. Sloboh drove for a bucket in the paint and Dixon converted a 3-point play from Adrianna Vega's assist to make the score 31-17 at the 7:50 mark. Another pair of field goals inside by Dixon and Sloboh, and a triple from Vega continued the run, punctuated by a deuce and a trey from Hernandez. The Pirates led 46-26 at halftime.
It was more of the same for Ventura in the second half as 9-0 run early on put the game on ice. With VC leading 52-31 at the 17:19 mark, Sloboh hit a pair of charity tosses, and Hernandez also hit a free shot. Sloboh hit a 15 footer followed by a Sanchez assist to a Hernandez 3-pointer and the Pirates led 61-31 with 13:43 left to play. The lead continued to expand with reserves playing extended minutes. Joi Moten scored eight points with three rebounds down the stretch and Sandra Ortiz hit for five points with three boards. When Marissa Hurtado hit a free throw with 2:39 on the clock, all Pirates had scored, completing the 94-58 team victory.
Ventura advances to the tournament semifinals on Sunday Dec. 29 against East Los Angeles at 7:00 pm at the Athletic Event Center. The other semifinal features El Camino and Los Angeles Valley at 5:00 pm, with consolation semifinals at 1:00 pm (Orange Coast vs. San Bernardino Valley) and 3:00 pm (Riverside vs. Southwestern).