VC Defeats West LA in Tournament Finale

Davina Del Castillo had her second straight double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds with three steals, and Celeste Salazar hit four 3-pointers for 12 points with four assists as the Pirates' women's basketball team gave West Los Angeles their first loss of the season 59-45 in the final game of the Wild West Shootout Saturday in Culver City. Nikki Puga added eight points and five assists and Talitha Draper pulled in 10 boards for VC (2-1) in the victory.

Unlike the first two games in the tournament, the Pirates got off to a fast start on Saturday. Jasmyne Martin converted a lay-up on a fast break to break the ice, and Salazar hit a triple off an assist from Puga on the next possession and VC led 5-0 early. After a Wildcat bucket, Kylie Vint made one of two free throws, and Draper made a short jumper to make it 8-2 at the 7:45 mark of the first quarter. West LA closed to within 9-6 with 4:23 on the clock when Puga scored on two straight drives to distance the Pirates out. After another West LA field goal, Salazar and Alaina Garcia made back-to-back three's, and Del Castillo hit a pair of charity tosses as Ventura closed the first period on an 8-0 run.

The Pirates scored the first eight points of the second period to make it an 18-0 run across the quarter break. Puga opened with a 3-pointer from the right wing followed by an old-fashioned 3-point play by Vint off a Salazar helper. Del Castillo and Elissa Root each made lay-ups as VC extended their lead to 31-8 halfway through the stanza. West LA finally got on the board at the 2:26 mark of the period, and Del Castillo answered with a trey from the left side for a 34-10 advantage. Del Castillo also hot a free throw for Ventura's biggest lead, 35-10, before the Wildcats hit a three just before halftime.  The Pirates led at intermission, 35-13.

Salazar got things going again early in the third period with a triple assisted by Puga. After a pair of Wildcat treys, Root hit her own long range bomb to make it 41-20. Martin had a pair of lay-ups to maintain the Pirates' advantage before West LA closed the period on a 6-0 run.  VC led at the quarter break 47-30.

West LA ramped up the pressure in the final period closing to within 10 points, 52-42, with 3:24 remaining in the game. Del Castillo hot a pair of free shots to turn back the Wildcat momentum, followed by a made jumper a minute later. Despite the strong effort from the hard-charging Wildcats, Ventura preserved the 59-45 victory.

Martin finished the game with eight points despite fighting foul trouble most of the evening, and Root added seven. Garcia, Root and Martin all recorded four rebounds.

The Pirates will make their home debut on Friday Nov. 24 in the VC-Kiwanis Tournament of Champions. VC will play Taft College at 6:00 pm in the third of four games that day.