The Ventura College men's basketball team dropped a heartbreaking 91-90 decision Wednesday night at Santa Monica. The Corsairs erased a four-point deficit in the final minute, hitting a 3-pointer with 3.3 seconds remaining in the game to send VC home disappointed in their final non-conference game of the season. Vida Faniel, who had a buzzer beater for the win fall short, finished with a career-high 30 points with eight rebounds. Cordel Hankerson netted 19 and Eddie Cowan had a double-double of 12 points and 16 assists.
Santa Monica jumped out to an early 20-10 lead with 13:23 remaining in the first half on the strength of a 12-0 run. The Pirates (9-10) began a steady comeback, and tied the score at 34 following a spin move for two by Trevor LaCount and a 3-pointer by Hankerson off a Isaac Ramirez assist. The game remained close for the rest of the period with SMC taking a 49-47 advantage into halftime.
The second half remained a nip-and-tuck affair, with the lead changing hands frequently. Cowan hit a big 3-pointer in the final minute to make it 90-86 for VC with 48 seconds on the clock. The Corsairs came down and got a quick score and a turnover, giving them a chance to tie or take the lead as the clock wound down. SMC hit the late triple to go ahead by one with 3.3 ticks on the clock, and the Pirates' attempt at a game-winner fell short, leaving the 91-90 result.
Ramirez turned in 12 points off the bench and LaCount finished with eight points and five boards.
The Pirates open Western State Conference North Division play on Saturday Jan. 14 at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria. Tip-off for the matinee is scheduled for 3:00 pm and the game will be followed by the VC women at 5:00 pm. Both games will be shown live on the VC Sports Network.