The VC women's basketball team showed some opening game jitters Friday, but managed to pull out a narrow 50-49 victory over Victor Valley in the Wild West Shootout at West Los Angeles College in Culver City. Sam McKenzie had eight points and seven rebounds and Olivia Huynh came up big off the bench with nine points, including a pair of huge second-half three's. The Pirates had a balanced attack with six players score between seven and nine points in the game.
It was a slow start for both teams with Ventura taking a 5-4 lead on Daphné LeBrun's 3-pointer at the shot clock buzzer three minutes into play. LeBrun then answered a VVC 3-pointer with a pair of free throws for a 7-7 tie a minute later. After McKenzie hit a free throw at the 6:00 mark, the Pirates led 8-7 but would only manage an Alexa Coubal free throw and Tiernan Phillips lay-up for the remainder of the period. VC trailed 12-11 at the end of the first quarter.
The Rams expanded the lead to 15-11 early in the second stanza before Leslie Salazar scored a bucket with 6:25 remaining in the half for VC's second field goal in 10 minutes of game time. Victor Valley maintained a small lead over the Pirates for the remainder of the period, but VC was able to keep things close until the halftime buzzer, trailing 25-21 at intermission.
Ventura came alive a bit after halftime with Tiernan Phillips scoring a free throw, then hitting a field goal after a steal to bring VC back to within 24-23. Coubal's lay-up with 6:31 on the clock tied the score at 30, and Phillips and McKenzie hit back-to-back lay-ups to complete a 6-0 Pirate run for a 34-30 advantage. The Rams answered with their own 7-1 run before McKenzie's jumper knotted the count at 37-37 at the quarter break.
Ventura went on the offensive in the final period, starting with LeBrun's three to open the period. Phillips had a drive and pull-up jumper on the next possession to stretch the lead to five, 42-37. VVC came back and went ahead 45-44 with 5:02 left in the game, but Ventura found an immediate answer when McKenzie found Huynh on the perimeter for a big 3-point shot. After the Rams tied the game again on the next trip down the court, McKenzie found Huynh again on the left wing for another three giving the Pirate the 50-47 edge with 3:36 left to play. Victor Valley scored a lay-up at the 1:53 mark, but the VC defense held fast the rest of the way for the win.
Ventura returns to Culver City on Saturday Nov. 11 to take on San Bernardino Valley at 4:00 pm.