We Play Hard!

Ventura 83, @ Moorpark 47

December 9, 2007

3rd Place Game,  Moorpark College Classic

Box Score

     It took the Pirates 20 minutes to get over their post-Mt. SAC hangover, and another 10 to pull away from a scrappy Raider team, as VC used a 22-33 shooting performance in the second half (67 percent) to defeat cross-county rival Moorpark 83-47 in the third place game of the Moorpark College Classic Sunday afternoon at Raider Pavilion.  Michelle Santizo's 13 points, seven steals, six rebounds, two assists, and a blocked shot earned her All-Tournament honors and propelled the Pirates in the win. 

     Sara Nicholson, who transferred to VC from Moorpark and also was the Raiders' MVP last season, began the contest with a basket in the paint off of Jenelle Conklin's drive and dish on the Pirates' first possession.  Moorpark (4-10) went on a 9-4 run over the next three minutes to take a 9-6 lead before Indira Kaljo scored five consecutive points to put VC back on top 11-9 at the 15:03 mark.  Ventura (10-4) led 19-18 with 6:27 remaining in the first half before closing the period  on a 10-1 streak.  An Eja Wong free throw and a Santizo break-away lay-up began the run, and Nicholson closed it with a bucket from the right block with 11 seconds remaining.  The Pirates led at halftime 29-29. 

     Five Moorpark 3-pointers in the first nine minutes of the second period kept the Raiders close, as VC led 47-38 with 11:54 on the clock.  Conklin connected with a bucket  at the 11:38 mark beginning a 25-2 Ventura knock-out punch over the next seven minutes.  The run included two long-rangers by Kaljo and four steals by Santizo, who punctuated the  streak with two free throws after her fourth steal with 4:37 remaining in the contest, making the score 72-40.  Conklin finished off the Raiders, scoring VC's next seven points, giving them a 79-45 edge with 2:35 on the clock.  Ventura rode the wave in to shore with an 83-47 victory.

   Kaljo led Ventura with 23 points, but it was Santizo's all-tournament worthy energy that sparked the Pirates' second half surge.  Nicholson had a solid outing against her former team with 14 points, and Conklin netted 14, as well.  Conklin pulled down five rebounds while Wong and Kaljo gathered four boards each.  Wong handed out five dimes and Conklin added four steals to the VC defensive effort. 

     The Pirates, who have now defeated Moorpark 37 consecutive times dating back to 1991, will get a break from their strenuous non-conference tournament schedule.  They are off for a week before returning to action at Cypress College in Orange County next Saturday, December 15, at 7:00 pm.  VC will close the pre-Christmas schedule at the Canyons Crossover Classic in Santa Clarita Dec. 22 and 23 against Fresno and San Francisco before returning home to the Ventura Crossover Dec. 28 and 29 against LA Valley and Orange Coast.  Fresno (#2 north), San Francisco (#6 north), and Orange Coast (#2, south) are all highly ranked in their respective regional coaches polls.