WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Cynthia Hernandez continued her hot outside shooting, hitting six 3-pointers en route to a game-high 23 points as the Pirates' women's basketball team defeated Allan Hancock College 70-49 Wednesday evening at the Athletic Event Center. Lisa Marie Sanchez had 13 points and seven assists and Brooke Dixon had a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds as VC (17-3, 2-0) became the last unbeaten team in the Western State Conference North Division with the win.
Ventura got off to a quick start, controlling the tip and working the ball to a 3-pointer from Adrianna Vega off of an assist by Sanchez just 15 seconds into the game. On VC's next possession, Adrianne Sloboh hit for two and the Pirates had a quick 5-0 lead. The Pirates then caught the bug, the turnover bug, handing the ball back to the Bulldogs on their next four possessions. A pair of treys from Hernandez broke the skid, but VC turned the ball over on the next two trips allowing Hancock to stay close. Hernandez hit a pair of free throws with 10:54 on the clock to make the score 17-6, but more turnovers would not allow VC to pull away. Sanchez hit a bucket at the 3:41 mark to make it 31-17, and VC led at halftime, 38-24.
In the second half, Hancock stayed around. 10 more VC turnovers, to go with their 11 in the first half, gave the Bulldogs ample opportunity to stay in the game. The lead remainied in the teens, but Hancock only got as close as 48-37 with 13:26 on the clock. The Pirates pulled away in the end, with Micaela Pericone-Kapp hitting a trey in the final minute to set the 70-49 final margin.
VC hosts Los Angeles Pierce College on Saturday Jan. 18 at 5:00 pm before heading back on the road for two games next week. That game at the Athletic Event Center can be heard live online on the VC Women's Sports Network, and will be followed by the Pirate men at 7:00 pm against the Brahmas.