Pirate Women Come Back Against Mission for Win

The VC women's basketball team came back from a fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Los Angeles Mission 59-56 Saturday at the Athletic Event Center. Olivia Decierdo again led the Pirates with 22-points, including a 10-14 performance from the free throw line. Riannah Lopez netted 14 points in the game while Sienna Angell and Kayla Lumas each contributed 11 to the victory.

Ventura (10-11, 4-2) started out hot with Decierdo making a pair of three's and Angell converting an old-fashioned 3-point play for a 90 advantage in the first three minutes of play. Decierdo assisted a lay-up by Angell, and Angell dropped a dime for a deuce by Lumas and the lead expanded to 13-3 a minute later. The Eagles slowly came back, however, and the teams were tied at 21 after one quarter of play.

The teams traded triples in the second period with Lopez and Lumas connecting hitting from range before Lopez nailed two more 3-pointers to give Ventura a 33-27 lead with 4:12 on the clock. Both teams were unable to get untracked offensively down the stretch before halftime and the Pirates led 33-28 at the break.

Lopez hit another long-range shot to open the second half and Lumas hit one of two foul shots for a 37-32 VC margin at the 8:09 mark. Mission then went on  13-3 run over the next seven minutes of game time to hold a 45-40 lead with 1:20 remaining in the stanza. Decierdo and Angell each scored buckets to get the Pirates back on task and VC trailed 45-44 at the quarter break.

LAMC extended their advantage to 49-44 in the first minute of the fourth quarter before Decierdo started the Pirate comeback. She scored a 3-point play on the next possession, then made another foul shot to pull Ventura to within 49-48. After a Mission three and a pair of free throws, Angell scored from beyond the arc and Decierdo made two free throws to once again make it a one point contest. The Pirate point guard then made a free throw to tie the game at 54 with 1:18 on the clock, and followed with a lay-up on the next trip down the floor. She then hit a pair of free throws to put the game on ice with 23 seconds remaining.

Lumas led the attack on the boards with 10 rebounds while Charnelle Nichols and Decierdo pulled in eight and seven caroms, respectively. Decierdo also totaled three assists and three steals and Nichols recorded three thefts.

The Pirates will next travel to Moorpark on Wednesday Feb. 4 for a 7:00 pm game.