Ventura's dynamic backcourt of Marcus Watson and Adrian McIntyre netted 28 and 22 points, respectively, as the VC men's basketball team opened Western State Conference play with a 90-67 win at Oxnard on Wednesday. Kai Johnson and Anthony Garza each scored 11 and Aaron Dawoodjee recorded 10. Johnson and Garza each grabbed five rebounds to lead the Pirates (13-4, 1-0) on the glass.
McIntyre hit a three and a two to open the game, and Garza sank a pair of charity shots as Ventura led 7-2 early. Oxnard closed to within 12-11 five minutes into play before Dawoodjee's lay-up held off the Condor charge. Watson made a pair of jumpers and McIntyre cashed in a dime from Dawoodjee and the Pirate advantage expanded to nine points, 20-11, with 11:22 remaining in the first half. Daniel Crocker scored a deuce with 6:27 on the clock to stretch the lead to double-figures, 33-23, before McIntyre scored two free throws, Watson hit from the foul line, and Garza hit a jumper for a 38-23 margin three minutes later. Ventura went on a 7-0 run in the final minute of the period and led at halftime, 48-27.
Oxnard cut the Pirate lead to 14 points on a pair of occasions early in the second half, but could get no closer. McIntyre, Garza and Johnson all scored to extend the Pirate lead back to 20, 61-41, with 14:11 on the clock. Dawoodjee's two free shots made it a 24-point game, 67-43. The Condors never really made a run down the stretch as the Pirates cruised in for the 90-67 win.
The Pirates shot 33-58 from the floor in the game (57 percent) and hit seven of 16 3-point attempts. Defensively, VC held the Condors to 36 percent shooting from the field (23-64).
Ventura next hosts Cuesta on Saturday Jan. 7. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 pm following the women's VC-Cuesta game at the Athletic Event Center.