Jasmyne Martin scored a game-high 25 points as the VC women's basketball team defeated Allan Hancock College 70-48 Saturday afternoon in Santa Maria. With the win, the Pirates firmly secured their spot in the driver's seat in the Western State Conference North Division race, moving two games ahead of second-place Hancock and Moorpark with four games remaining. Martin added five rebounds to her point total, and Davina Del Castillo scored 15 points with eight boards and six assists for Ventura (20-6, 6-0).
The Pirates were dialed in from the tip in their most important game of the season to date. Martin scored twice off the drive, and Del Castillo made a lay-up, then converted a steal to another two points and the Pirates led 8-5 with 6:09 remaining in the first quarter. The Bulldogs scored seven of the next eight points to take a 12-9 lead when Melissa Ohmie pulled in an offensive rebound and hit Celeste Salazar on the perimeter for a 3-pointer to tie the score. Nikki Puga then sandwiched a pair of triples around a Hancock free throw and the Pirates led 18-15 at the end of one quarter of play.
Early in the second period, AHC pulled to within 18-17 before the teams traded long distance shots. Del Castillo assisted a trey from Martin before the Bulldogs answered. Salazar then dropped a dime to Del Castillo for another three, and Puga followed it up with a long two for 26-20 Pirate lead with 7:04 on the clock. That count remained for over a minute when Elissa Root recorded a steal leading to a Del Castillo assist of another long Puga deuce. The Bulldogs got back on the board halfway through the quarter, but Root killed their momentum with a 3-pointer. Martin's jumper at the 4;16 mark made it a double-digit lead, 33-22, and Puga made another long two to extend the advantage. Martin finished the half with a 3-point play and two more charity tosses and VC led 40-24 at intermission.
Any hopes of a Bulldog comeback were dashed early in the third quarter. Salazar began the half with a shot from range, and Martin scored three straight buckets to make it 49-27 with 5:42 left in the period. AHC scored the next four points, when Salazar hit Del Castillo on a fast break, then Del Castillo nailed two free throws to keep the lead at 20, 53-33. The game then was well in hand, and Ohmie's lay-up in the final minute made the score 57-35 after three.
In the final minute, the pace of play slowed as the Pirates used the clock to their advantage, recording the 70-48 victory.
Martin added five rebounds to her point total and Puga totaled 15 points for the Pirates. Salazar netted six points with five rebounds and three dimes while playing outstanding defense on the outside, and on Hancock's 6-foot-2 center. Ohmie pulled in seven rebounds with a pair of assists, coming back from early foul trouble to play a solid defensive second half.
The win was a focused team effort with Ventura connecting of 48 percent of their field goal attempts, 33 percent from behind the 3-point arc, and limiting their turnovers to nine. With the victory, the Pirates surpass the 20-win plateau for the 29th straight season.
The Pirates will return home on Wednesday Feb. 7, hosting Cuesta College. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00 pm at the Athletic Event Center.