Pirate Men Fall in Sequoias Tournament Title Game

In closely fought contest, the Ventura College men's basketball team fell to Cerritos 77-71 Sunday afternoon in the championship game of the Kirby Mannon Pepsi / Wyndham Hotel Tournament at College of the Sequoias in Visalia. Isiah Reyes and Cordel Hankerson led five players in double-figures with 15 points each. Trevor LaCount had 13 points and six rebounds and Vida Faniel totaled 11 points with eight boards. Ryan Sells also contributed 11 points for Ventura (9-7).

The first 20 minutes of play was extremely close with four ties and six lead changes with neither team leading by more than five points. After the Falcons scored the first bucket of the game, the team's exchanged 3-pointers with Calvin Young getting VC on the board. A Hankerson triple and a LaCount deuce gave the Pirates a 10-5 advantage with 12:59 on the clock. Cerritos came back to tie the game at 10-10, and briefly took the lead when Taylor Sturgeon's dunk put Ventura back on top, 15-14, at the 8:42 mark. Hankerson hit another shot from range to extend the lead to four, 18-14, but Cerritos came back, once again. LaCount made charity tosses to tie the score at 22, and then again at 24 before the Falcons went back ahead. Ventura hit its final field goal of the period with 3:39 remaining, and their free throws were able to make the score 29-27 for Cerritos at halftime.

Cerritos began to take control in the second half, but the Pirates stayed within striking distance. The Falcon lead reached double-figures, 51-41, with 12:20 remaining, and reached its high point, 53-42, on the next possession. Reyes and Sells sandwiched 3-pointers around a Cerritos bucket to pull back within seven, and with Ventura trailing 57-48 with 9:15 on the clock, the Pirates went on a 12-1 run over the next four minutes to take a 60-58 lead late. Cerritos responded with six straight points to retake the lead, but Hankerson's trey with 2:33 left to play brought Ventura to within 66-65. The Pirates were unable to get over the hump, however, as Cerritos held them off for the 77-71 decision.

Eddie Cowan had seven assists in the game from his point guard spot, and the Pirates hit 10 3-pointers as a team, shooting 40 percent from behind the arc. LaCount and Young were each named to the all-tournament team.

Ventura takes a break for the Holiday before returning to action on Tuesday Jan. 3 at home against Riverside.  Tip-off with the Tigers is scheduled for 6:00 pm.