Pirates post big win over LAVC

The VC women's basketball team surges to a 63-36 victory over LA Valley Saturday afternoon at the Athletic Event Center. Sofia Salgado led the way for Ventura with 19 points while Kayla Lumas produced a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Sienna Angell contributed eight points and Olivia Decierdo netted six with four assists. Charnelle Nichols pulled in six boards and scored five points.

The Pirates got off to a slow start, hitting their first bucket, a lay-up by Nichols, at the 6:32 mark f the first quarter. Angell followed quickly with a pair of 3-pointers for an 8-5 VC edge at the midway point of the stanza. The Monarchs went scoreless for five minute stretch and VC took advantage scoring 12 straight points, including seven from Salgado. Ventura led 18-6 at the end of the opening period.

The Pirate offense cooled off, going over four minutes without a score, but the defense held LAVC to a single bucket over that span. When Decierdo ended the skid with a jumper with 5:45 on the clock, Ventura maintained a 20-8 lead. Salgado and Lumas followed with field goals to stretch the lead to 16 points and Riannah Lopez's jumper made it 26-11 for VC with 3:45 on the clock. Decierdo's lay-up at the end of the half put VC ahead 32-19 at intermission.

After an early Valley bucket, Lumas scored six of VC's first eight points of the third quarter. Then, Lumas assisted a score by Salgado and the Pirates held a 42-21 advantage midway through the third. Following a pair of charity shots by the Monarchs, Angell, Salgado, Lumas and Nichols all scored to expand the lead to 51-23. Lopez then hit a triple in the final minute of the quarter to give Ventura a 54-24 lead headed to the final 10 minutes of play.

With the game well in hand, the Pirate offense throttled back. Lumas still managed a pair of free shots and a jumper sandwiched around a bucket by Salgado and Lopez scored to keep the lead near 30 points, 63-34.  A pair of late free throws by Valley determined the final 63-36 margin.

Ventura next hosts Santa Monica on Friday Nov. 21 on the opening day of the Kiwanis Crossover at 6:00 pm.  The tournament moves to Oxnard College on Saturday Nov. 22 as VC will take on East Los Angeles at 4:00 pm.