WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: At the end of the night, there were smiles for all. Behind 21 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals from Lisa Marie Sanchez, the Pirates' women's basketball team defeated a hard-fighting Moorpark team 71-60 to move to 6-0 in Western State Conference North Division play, two games up on the second place Raiders. Meanwhile, the team also hosted the seventh annual Ribbons of Life Breast Cancer Game, raising $3,090 for the local breast cancer advocacy group through a silent auction during the game.
On the court, the Pirates were in for a fight from their cross-county rivals. Ventura (21-3, 6-0) used an early 11-1 run to open up a 20-8 advantage with 10:46 remaining in the first half. Cynthia Hernandez started the run with a 3-pointer off of an assist by Sanchez, and Sanchez converted an old-fashioned 3-point play on the next possession. Brooke Dixon scored off of a Hernandez assist to make it a 10-point game, and following a Raider free throw, Dixon converted her own 3-point play to punctuate the run.
The Pirates maintained their double-digit lead until under five minutes remaining in the period when the offense went cold. Ventura did not score over the final 4:08 of the period, and did not make a field goal for nearly seven minutes to end the half. Moorpark closed the stanza on an 8-2 run to pull to within 28-24 at halftime.
Adrianna Vega and Hernandez opened up the second period with back-to-back triples, extending the VC lead back to 10, 34-24. But Moorpark caught fire from the floor from that point on, going on a 14-4 run to tie the score at 38-38 at the 15:26 mark. Moorpark took a 42-41 lead with 12:48 left, and the game was tied again at 50-50 with 8:45 on the clock when a pair of free throws by Sanchez gave Ventura the lead for good. A bucket and a pair of free throws by Hernandez put VC ahead 56-51 at the 6:15 mark when All-State center Riley Abraham fouled out for MC with 5:59 remaining. VC pulled away from that point, hitting all of their free throws down the stretch in the 71-60 victory.
Hernandez finished with 20 points while Dixon posted her 10th double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Adrianne Sloboh had nine points, 13 boards, and three steals. The win was Ventura's 50th consecutive win over Moorpark dating back to the 1990-91 season.
Meanwhile VC's seventh annual Ribbons of Life Game was also a resounding success. $3,090 was raised for the Ribbons of Life Breast Cancer Foundation during the evening's activities, and eight cancer survivors were introduced as honorary starters before the game.
The Pirates will begin the second round of WSC play at home on Saturday Feb. 1 against Cuesta. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00 pm and the game can be heard live online on the VC Women's Sports Network.
The Ventura and Moorpark basketball teams with the honorary starters before the Ribbons of Life Breast Cancer Game Wednesday at the Athletic Event Center. The Pirates defeated Moorpark 71-60.
The Ventura and Moorpark basketball teams with the honorary starters before the Ribbons of Life Breast Cancer Game Wednesday at the
Athletic Event Center. The Pirates defeated Moorpark 71-60.