VC Women Can't Maintain Advantage in Playoff Loss

The Pirates' women's basketball team played their best game of the year for the first three quarters Saturday. The No. 12-seed led No. 5 Cypress 58-50 headed to the fourth quarter before losing the momentum against the Chargers, who put together a stellar final period for the 79-67 result. Kylie Gallick recorded her 22nd double-double in 28 games with 18 points and 19 rebounds while Sofia Torres-Reyes added 17 points. Kenya Edelhart and Alisha Cruz-Lisberg totaled 14 and 12 points, respectively, for the Pirates (20-9).

In an electric atmosphere, Ventura raced to an early 7-2 lead with  buckets by Cruz-Lisberg and Gallick sandwiched around a Torres-Reyes three. An Edelhart deuce, another triple by Torres-Reyes and another mid-range "J" from Cruz-Lisberg stretched the margin to 14-6 with 4:07 remaining in the first quarter. Alexis Howery scored to stretch the lead to 10 points and Cruz-Lisberg assisted a bucket by Gallick in the final minute of the period for an 11-point margin, 24-13. The Chargers then scored two to close the gap at the quarter break.

Cypress scored the first seven points of the second quarter to close to within two, 24-22. Gallick ended the Pirate skid with a drive and lay-up and Edelhart followed with a 3-pointer from a pass by Cruz-Lisberg. Torres-Reyes' third trey of the game put VC back ahead by nine, 34-25, midway through the stanza. Jasmine Glover assisted a jumper by Gallick at the 2:19 mark to reestablish a nine-point advantage, and Edelhart's three in the final minute gave the Pirates a 44-34 lead. Unfortunately, Cypress answered the score with their own triple to make it 44-37 at halftime.

After a Glover putback to open the third quarter, Cypress went on another run, closing to within two points before Gallick and Cruz-Lisberg put together back-to-back scores midway through the period. Gallick's 3-point play made it 55-46 with 1:39 remaining in the stanza and Torres-Reyes hit from long range from a Gallick offensive rebound and pass to put Ventura ahead 58-50 headed to the game's final 10 minutes.

Cypress made another run at the Pirates to start the fourth with a pair of buckets. Cruz-Lisberg made two free throws to turn back the charge as Ventura had done all game for a 60-54 VC margin. Unfortunately, that would be the final time Ventura was able to respond as Cypress followed with a 14-point run over the next three minutes to shift the momentum. Gallick made one of two free throws to end the skid, and Edelhart followed with a lay-up with 3:32 remaining to pull the Pirates back to a 68-63 deficit, but Ventura would get no closer. The Chargers pulled away for the 79-67 win to survive and advance, ending the Pirates' season.

Cruz-Lisberg ended the game with four assists and Glover dished out three dimes for VC. Glover also pulled down four rebounds as Ventura won the battle on the glass 30-28. Gallick also drew three offensive fouls in the game, tying a team single-game record last recorded in 2011.

The 2022-23 season ends for the Pirates with a 20-8 record, the 32nd 20-win season for the program in the past 32 years. Ventura's sophomore class of Talitha Draper, Kenya Edelhart, Jasmine Glover, Alisha Cruz-Lisberg, Sofia Torres-Reyes and Kylie Gallick will look to move on from VC, continuing the Pirates' legacy of success beyond Ventura College while the freshmen class of Jocelyn Contreras, Alina Olivo, Alexis Howery, Tiernan Phillips and Dani Henley will return to continue the program's excellence on the court and in the classroom in 2023-24.