The charge all season has been to get a little better each and every day, each and every game. The Ventura College women's basketball team lived up to that goal Wednesday night in routing the host Allan Hancock Bulldogs 77-42 in Santa Maria. Micaela Pericone-Kapp led the way with 20 points for the Pirates (15-5, 2-0).
VC had a rough go of it early, falling behind by 5-0 count in the game's first two minutes. Makenna Murray hit a jump shot after a steal by Aubri Smith to break the ice for the Pirates. Brooke Zamora sandwiched a pair of 3-pointers around a deuce by Pericone-Kapp, and VC turned things around to a 12-7 advantage with 13:40 remaining in the opening half.
The Bulldogs came back, however, and re-took a 16-13 lead, and they also led 21-19 at the 6:33 mark.
Pericone-Kapp gave Ventura the lead for good with a triple, and Zamora's made layup made it a three-point margin. After an AHC bucket cut the lead to one, 24-23, Zamora nailed her third trey of the half, and Carly Maciel cooley made three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt to make the margin seven, 30-23. A Murray lay-up and a Zamora drive for a score in the final minute of the period made it 35-25 at halftime.
The Pirates used a 21-4 run early in the second period to take control, and they never looked back. Pericone-Kapp got it all started with three charity tosses, and the shots kept falling from there. By the time she closed the run with a 3-pointer off of Carolyn Ruffino's assist, the Pirates led 61-34. Maciel's triple with 3:11 on the clock gave VC its biggest lead of the day, 76-38, as VC cruised in for the 77-42 win.
In addition to Pericone-Kapp's exploits, Murray and Zamora each netted 15 points. Zamora added seven rebounds and Murray had three steals. Aubri Smith had another solid all-around performance with 12 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals. Sandra Ortiz pulled in nine borads.
Ventura will travel to Woodland Hills on Saturday Jan. 17 to face Los Angeles Pierce. Tip-off is at 5:00 pm following the VC men's game at 3:00 pm.