In a roller coaster 2016-17 season, the Pirates' women's basketball team avoided what would have been the low point with a 24-10 fourth quarter to claim a 58-48 victory over Antelope Valley on day two of the Canyons Crossover in Santa Clarita. The Pirates shot 9-11 in the final period, and connected on six of eight free throws to come back from a four-point deficit to begin the stanza.
The Pirates got off to a fast start, scoring seven points in the first 52 seconds of the game on a pair of lay-ups from Rhiana Dougan and a Katie Campbell 3-pointer. The was about all the fireworks VC could muster until the final quarter as the Marauders came back to tie the score at 9-9 with 4:02 remaining in the first quarter. The Pirates missed eight of nine shots during one stretch, including five lay-ups. Two Campbell free throws gave Ventura a 15-14 lead at the quarter break.
Both teams had trouble offensively in the second quarter, as it took 3:29 before Sienna Brown broke the ice with a made jumper. The teams traded barbs throughout the period with Antelope Valley taking a 24-23 advantage into halftime.
The Pirate troubles continued into the third quarter as AVC scored eight straight points to extend their lead to 32-23. Davina Del Castillo got VC going with a lay-up off of a Dougan assist at the 6:12 mark and Campbell's triple on the next possession closed the gap to four, 32-28. Campbell made the pass for a Dougan jumper with 1:04 left and the Marauders led 38-34 after three periods.
Faced with a fourth quarter deficit to a team that they had defeated 90-31 in the first week of the season, the Pirates woke up in the final period. Campbell was fouled on the first possession and made two charity tosses, and then assisted a lay-up by Kyleesha Green on the next. Green assisted a Del Castillo lay-up and Campbell made two more free shots to tie the game at 42 with 7:22 remaining. Green assisted a Campbell inside score, then Campbell turned a steal on defense into two points to give VC the lead for good. Brown's jumper at the 2:07 mark made it 54-46 as the Pirates survived the scare with a 58-48 victory.
Campbell led the way with 22 points, five assists, three steals and a pair of blocked shots while Dougan chipped in 16 points. Green added 10 points and three helpers and Brown and Del Castillo each had five rebounds.
The Pirates enter Western State Conference play next week at 15-5. They will begin conference play on Saturday Jan. 14 at Allan Hancock College. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00 pm in Santa Maria following the men's game at 3:00 pm. Both games can be seen live on the VC Sports Network sponsored by Joe Kapp Real Estate and the Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach.