Playing their second game in less than 19 hours, the Pirates' men's basketball team came up short against Chabot , 71-68, in a game played in Pasadena. Bo Dolinsek filled the stat sheet with 28 points and 14 rebounds for VC (4-4) and Kevin Hymes just missed a triple-double with 10 points, nine assists and nine boards. Kam'Ron Cigar chipped in nine points in the effort.
Both teams were sluggish in the beginning with the 10:00 am start. Dolinsek made back-to-back jumpers for a 12-12 tie midway through the first half, then hit a three for a 15-14 Pirate lead. Nathan Cigar went coast-to-coast for a lay-up on the next possession as VC led 17-14 with 7:51 left in the half. Hymes also went coast-to-coast, scoring two to extend the lead to 21-16 with 6:48 on the clock.
The Gladiators went on an 8-2 run to take the lead, but Gerard Bolden's triple tied the game again at 24 with 3:01 remaining in the period. Dolinsek answered a Chabot three with his own long-range bomb, but the Gladiators scored the final bucket of the period for a 29-27 lead at halftime.
Jeremiah Wilson scored off an assist by Dolinsek early in the second half as VC tied the score at 29, but that would be as close as the Pirates would come to the Gladiators for the remainder of the game.
Chabot scored on consecutive possessions for a 34-29 lead and the Pirates played catch-up the rest of the way. Wilson's free throw with 15:03 left brought Ventura to within 40-37 before Chabot took a 10-point lead, 50-40 three minutes later. Ventura, who trailed by as many as 14 points in the second half, kept up the fight, however, as Dolinsek hit a pair of charity shots to make it 62-55 with 3:53 remaining.
Wilson's lay-up with 1:50 on the clock brought VC to within six, 65-59, and Kam'Ron Cigar's 3-point play closed the gap to three, 67-64, with 29 seconds on the clock. Chabot hit their free throws down the stretch and defeated the Pirates 71-68.
Ventura next hosts Saddleback on Tuesday Nov. 19 at 6:00 pm.