The Pirates' men's basketball team traveled to Riverside Friday, defeating the RCC 80-74 for their third victory against the Tigers this season. Reese Widerburg came in off the bench to drop 18 points and Carter Alexander scored 13. Caleb Gilbert netted 11 while Mykayle McCoy, Caleb Geisendorfer and Vernon Henry all added seven points in the balanced attack.
Gilbert scored a two, Blake Berry hit a three and Derrick Young made a lay-up at the Pirates got off to a fast 7-0 start in the first two minutes of the game. Dominik Contreras cashed in a McCoy dime for three to maintain the edge, 12-5, two minutes later, and Widerburg's three at the 13:27 mark maintained VC's 18-13 margin. The Tigers came back and tied the score at 20 midway through the first half.
Widerburg made a pair of free throws with 5:48 on the clock to give Ventura a 30-29 lead, and Henry's 3-point play made it 33-31 for VC at the 3:55 mark. RCC caught fire in the final minutes of the period, however, closing on an 11-1 run to hold a 42-34 halftime advantage.
The Tigers stretched the lead to 10, 44-34 early in the second half before Ventura started a slow but steady comeback. McCoy hit a lay-up and Beckham Rutherford made a three to cut the deficit in half and Berry's two foul shots pulled the Pirates to within 46-43 with 15:52 left to play. Widerburg's three made it 52-50 for the Tigers at the 11:07 mark, and Carter Alexander's two charity shots tied the game at 52 midway through the second half. Widerburg followed with a shot from range and Gilbert's easy two off a Geisendorfer assist stretched the lead to seven. 64-57, with 7:27 on the clock.
Riverside was not done, however, as the Tigers scored the next eight points to regain the upper hand two minutes later. Alexander's "and-1" ended the Ventura skid, and he hit another bucket and one of two free shots to put Ventura ahead 70-65 with 2:29 remaining. Geisendorfer scored at the 1:51 mark to move the lead to seven. 72-65, and Gilbert's dunk in the final minute off a pass by Alexander sealed the win.
McCoy hauled in eight rebounds in the game and Geisendorfer grabbed six caroms. McCoy and Contreras each handed out two assists. Widerburg and Contreras pulled in two steals apiece.
VC (7-9) opens Western State Conference North Division play on Wednesday Jan. 10 hosting Oxnard at 5:00 pm.