We Play Hard!

@ Ventura 78, Moorpark 67

February 13, 2008

Box Score

     The Pirates joined over 900 schools across the country Wednesday in hosting the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) "Think Pink" night.  Information booths and a silent auction were happening in the lobby of the Athletic Event Center helping raise breast cancer awareness, while VC played just well enough to stay one step ahead of a tenacious Moorpark Raider team, winning the contest 78-67, raising the Pirates' victory total to 24 on the season.  All of the evening's Think Pink activities benefited Ribbons of Life Breast Cancer Foundation, a local advocacy group founded at Ventura College in 2002.

     Ventura (9-0, 24-5) went ahead early 4-0, and following a Raider 3-pointer, scored six unanswered points to take a 10-3 lead with 16:21 remaining in the first half.  A four-minute scoreless stretch ensued for the Pirates, however, and Moorpark (4-6, 9-19) came back to take the lead back 11-10.  Randi Hicks broke the Pirate drought with a turn-around jumper from the right block at the 12:20 mark, and Eja Wong hit a bucket 28-seconds later to solidify Ventura's advantage.  Jenelle Conklin's old-fashioned 3-point play with 8:13 on the clock made the score 21-16, and Lindsay Trout's break-away lay-up put Ventura ahead by nine, 28-19 at the 5:01 mark.  Michelle Santizo connected on a shot with 2:00 remaining until halftime, giving VC a 10-point cushion, 32-22, but the Raiders would score the final four points of the half, make the score 32-26 and intermission.

     The game remained close into the second half, as Ventura could not get any momentum offensively, and Moorpark hit enough shots to stay close.  A Raider basket with 9:14 on the clock made the score 55-48 in favor of VC when the Pirates briefly awoke from their slumber.  Conklin hit on a spectacular 3-point play off of a drive down the middle with 8:36 remaining to begin a 13-0 Pirate run over the next 1:30.  Conklin closed the run with a bucket at the 7:06 mark, giving Ventura a commanding 68-48 lead.  VC went cold once again from the floor, however, and Moorpark kept fighting closing the gap to 68-53 at the 5:14 mark.  Sara Nicholson ended the Pirate drought with a basket with 4:28 on the clock, and a pair of Indira Kaljo free throws padded the lead back to 72-55.  Ventura scored its final points with 2:11 on the clock, before Moorpark scored the final five points of the contest.  Ventura hung on for the 78-67 win.

     Santizo had another great all-around game with 10 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, and four steals.  Kaljo led the VC offense with 14 points while Conklin netted 13 points while grabbing five boards and five steals.  The Pirates had a balanced scoring attack with six players scoring seven points or more, and another three posting five or six points.  Wong also contributed five assists on the evening and Hicks grabbed six strong rebounds.

     During the evening, many activities commemorated the Pirate's participation in the Think Pink promotion.  Over 50 items were sold in the silent auction, and the VC Cheerleaders held a 50/50 raffle.  Pre-game festivities featured 11 "honorary starters," all breast cancer survivors, who were presented with commemorative t-shirts by the starting line-ups of both teams.  the Ventura College Psychology Club presented the Ribbons of Life Breast Cancer Foundation with a $500 check at halftime, and Lisa Barreto, a the founder of the Ribbons of Life, gave a moving presentation at halftime.  Her talk was highlighted by a victory march by numerous breast cancer survivors to center court.  All proceeds from the evening's event benefit Ribbons of Life.

     Ventura travels to Santa Barbara City College on Saturday Nov. 16.  They have a 5:30 tip-off with the second-place Vaqueros at the Sports Pavilion, a facility that has seen two consecutive Pirate losses.  The last time VC emerged victorious in Santa Barbara was in the 2005 season.  That game will be followed by the Pirate men at 7:30.  The Pirates return home for sophomore night on Wednesday Feb. 20.  It will be the final regular season home game of the year.