In their first game of the new year, the VC women's basketball team picked up where they left off in 2016 with a 78-45 victory over Citrus College on day one of the Canyons Crossover in Santa Clarita. Katie Campbell filled the stat sheet with 26 points, six rebounds, six assists, four steals and three blocked shots to lead Ventura (14-5). Rhiana Dougan netted 21 points with four assists and four steals and Sienna Brown produced her sixth double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
A lay-up by Brown and a three from Dougan pushed the Pirates out to the early 5-0 lead. Following a Citrus 3-pointer, VC ran off 13 consecutive points over the next 3:18 to take control of the game. Dougan scored a lay-up off an assist by Campbell, who converted a steal to two points on the next possession. Davina Del Castillo scored back-to-back buckets to push the lead to 10 points, and Kyleesha Green followed with another chip shot. Brown converted an offensive rebound for two points and Dougan hit a charity shot to finish the run with VC ahead 18-3 with 5:08 remaining in the first quarter. The Pirates extended the margin to 26-9 at the quarter break.
Ventura stretched the lead to 20 points, 32-12 on a Brown field goal with 7:40 on the clock, and Simone Lewis, who returned to action after missing a month due to an injury, converted a bucket to make it 34-12. The Pirates led 39-17 at halftime.
Campbell and Dougan sandwiched a Brown jumper with 3-pointers early in the third quarter to extend the lead to 47-21. Ventura was unable to sustain the offensive pace throughout the period, however, and the advantage was 23 points at the quarter break, 55-32.
VC pulled away in the final period with Lewis scoring three straight buckets for the Pirates at one point. Campbell and Dougan splashed triples to give Ventura their largest lead of the night, 75-38, with 3:48 left to play. VC went on to post the 78-45 victory.
Lewis finished the night with eight points and Del Castillo finished with five rebounds despite being limited by an injury in the second quarter.
Ventura finished its non-conference schedule on Saturday Jan. 7 on day two of the Canyons Crossover. VC will take on Antelope Valley at 3:00 pm in Santa Clarita.