Maybe it was too many presents, or too much Christmas ham, but the Pirates cooked their own goose for 20 minutes Monday night before breaking out in their 64-45 win over Rio Hondo in the first round of the VC-Optimist Club Holiday Tournament. Makenna Murray had 17 points and seven rebounds while Amani White had an In-N-Out double-double with 15 points and 12 boards to lead the way.
It looked as if the Pirates (13-3) would make quick work of the Roadrunners, opening up a 4-0 lead in the opening minutes. VC went cold, however, as Rio Hondo went on a 15-2 run, taking a nine point advantage with 1:16 remaining in the first quarter. Kyleesha Green made a pair of free throws on the next possession to make the score 15-8 at the end of the period.
The Pirates' cold streak reached 19 straight missed shots before Rhiana Dougan hit a 3-pointer from the left corner to end the skid with 9:25 left in the half. The Pirates remained close until Makenna Murray hit a trey with 1:32 on the clock to tie the score at 21-21. After a Roadrunner bucket, Murray closed out the half with another triple and the Pirates held a 24-23 advantage at intermission. VC shot just 22 percent, 8-36, in the first half from the floor and 3-16 from behind the 3-point arc.
Things were very different as the second half began. White scored inside, followed by a Murray trey and the Pirates opened up a 29-23 advantage less than two minutes into the third quarter. Aubri Smith assisted another Murray three, Carolyn Ruffino hit a pull-up jumper, and White followed with back-to-back makes giving the Pirates a 38-23 edge, and a 17-0 run, with 5:25 left in the third period. White and Murray continued to dominate play as VC opened up a 52-27 lead at the end of the quarter. The teams played out the final period and the Pirates came away with the 64-45 victory.
Murray was 5-6 behind the 3-point stripe in the game, and White shot 6-8 from the floor while adding four blocked shots on the defensive end. Kalmbach had nine points on 4-6 shooting and seven rebounds while Aubri Smith added eight assists and three steals.
VC will play Antelope Valley in one tournament semifinal Tuesday Dec. 29 at 7:00 pm at the Athletic Event Center. Mt. San Jacinto and Orange Coast will play in the other semifinal at 5:00 pm. Consolation games include LA Valley against El Camino at 1:00 pm and Southwestern vs. Rio Hondo at 3:00 pm.