It was a game a long time coming. The Pirates' women's basketball team, on the cusp of becoming a very good team for most of the season, put together a total team effort for 40 minutes to blow past visiting Santa Barbara 95-43. All 12 Pirates scored in the game with four players in double-figures and another two with nine points. Katie Campbell led the way with 20 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals. VC closes out the first round of Western State Conference play at 5-0, a game ahead of second place Moorpark.
It was also the Pirates' 10th Annual Ribbons of Life Breast Cancer Awareness Game. the team introduced five honorary starters before the game, all breast cancer survivors, and held a silent auction to benefit the Ribbons Of Life Breast Cancer Foundation. A total of $2,435 was raised for the local breast cancer support organization.
The outcome of the game was decided in the opening minutes. Campbell got things going with a 3-pointer, and following a SBCC inside basket, Ventura scored the next 16 points of the game. Five different players scored in the run begun by Campbell with a lay-up. Rhiana Dougan scored in transition and Melissa Ohmie connected for two off of Dougan's assist. Brown hit Dougan for two more, and Kyleesha Green connected on an old-fashioned 3-point play. Davina Del Castillo scored on an offensive rebound and Campbell connected for another triple to close the run. VC led 23-3 at the end of one quarter.
Ventura didn't slow down in the second period, and the bench got involved in the fun. After a pair of Del Castillo buckets, Celeste Salazar connected for a deuce and a trey, and Ohmie scored again off a Campbell assist. Simone Lewis, who missed a month of the season due to a neck injury, seemed to be rounding into form with a couple of scores and VC led 38-7 with 5:18 left to play in the half. Ventura took a 48-13 advantage into halftime.
VC shot the ball even better in the third quarter, hitting nearly 65 percent of their shot attempts (11-17). The Pirate front line opened up the scoring with three buckets from Brown, Del Castillo and Ohmie. Dougan then scored on a fast break and Campbell hit a three to make it 59-17. The Pirates kept the hammer down, and b the time they let off the accelerator, the led 79-23 with 8:34 left to play. Ventura rode out the momentum in the 95-43 victory.
Dougan tallied 14 points for VC while Del Castillo had a double-double of 12 points and 13 rebounds. Brown just missed the In-n-Out special with 11 points, eight boards and three blocked shots. Green finished with nine points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. Salazar also came in with nine points on the night.
VC next hosts Allan Hancock College on Saturday Feb. 4 at 7:00 pm. It will also be the night of the annual Barbeque Fundraiser held at the VC Cafeteria beginning at 3:30 pm.
Additionally, fans will be in for an extra special treat with the 20-year reunion of the 1996 and 1997 state champion teams held between the men's and women's game, beginning at approximately 6:45. The two teams will become the first teams inducted into the VC Athletics Hall of Fame.
All the festivities will also be webcast live on the VC Sports Network.
The Ventura College Pirates and Santa Barbara Vaqueros women's basketball teams with six honorary starters, all breast cancer survivors, before Saturday's tip-off at VC's 10th Annual Ribbons of Life Breast Cancer Awareness Game. A total of $2,435 was raised for the Ribbons of Life Breast Cancer Foundation at a silent auction held during the game.