Pirates Shoot Their Way to WSC Win

Behind a perfect shooting night from Charnelle Nichols, the Pirates' women's basketball team shot its way to a 57-52 victory at Los Angeles Mission Wednesday to open Western State Conference play. Nichols was 6-6 from the floor, 1-1 from three, and 3-3 at the free throw line for 16 points to lead the way. Kayla Lumas netted 17 points and Riannah Lopez scored 12 for Ventura. The Pirates were 19-44 from the floor overall, 43 percent, and 7-17 from three, 41 percent while hitting 75 percent of their free throws, 12-16, in the contest.

A lay-up by Lopez, a three from Ariella Harrison and deuce from Nichols led to an 11-4 Pirate lead midway through the first quarter. The Eagles closed two within one, 12-11 late in the period before Alyssa Ballesteros hit a jumper in the final minute for a 14-11 lead at the quarter break.

The teams continued to go back-and-fourth in the second stanza with Mission moving ahead 25-19 with 4:03 remaining. Lumas scored a bucket and Sienna Angell hit a three to pull Ventura back to within 29-27 at intermission.

In the third quarter, Nichols hit a pair of free throws at the 2:51 mark to knot the score at 34. Lopez then sandwiched a pair of three's around an Ava Elliott charity toss for a 41-36 Pirate margin late in the period.

Early in the final stanza, Lumas made a three and was fouled, completing a 4-point play for a 45-38 Pirate lead with 8:33 left to play. LAMC countered with an old-fashioned 3-point play and a three to close the gap to 45-44 a minute later before Nichols hit a deuce and a triple around a Lopez jumper to open up a 52-44 lead. The Eagles managed to close back to a 52-50 score with 1:38 on the clock, before Lumas hit three of four free throws, and Lopez hit a pair of free shots to ice the win.

The Pirates will next host Moorpark on Saturday Jan. 10 at 3:00 pm.