SF Kevin Menner had 25 pts and Ctr Tavaris Gilbert had a double-double and several big plays in the final minutes as host #9 Ventura (10-3) edged West Hills (8-8), 74-69, Tuesday night.
The game was close most of the way, with neither team leading by more than 8 points during the game. And West Hills led with under three minutes left after SF J.C. Snead drained a three to make it 63-62.
But Ventura PF Brandon Dixon scored on an inbounds play on a feed from Menner to put the Pirates back in front, 64-63 with 2:33 remaining. Then PG Robert Wright grabbed a rebound, was fouled and made a pair of free throws to make it 66-63 with 2:07 left.
Then a pair of strong defensive plays by Gilbert helped keep the Pirates in front. First, he forced a Falcon turnover with aggressive defense along the baseline. Then, on West Hills' next trip down the floor, PG Guiressi Grimes grabbed an offensive rebound and went back up with a putback try, but Gilbert blocked the shot and corraled the rebound.
With Ventura still clinging to a 66-63 lead, Gilbert got an offensive rebound and fed Dixon for a lay-up with 30 seconds left to make it 68-63.
But West Hills wasn't quite finished yet. And when Snead made a lay-up, drew a foul and made the free throw, the Ventura lead was down to just two points at 68-66 with 18.1 seconds left.
But Gilbert helped the Pirates maintain that lead with a pair of free throws that made it 70-66 with 17.1 seconds left. Then, after a Falcon miss, Gilbert tapped the rebound to Wright, who made a pair of free throws with 9.0 seconds left to make it 72-66. Another 3-pointer by Snead - his fourth of the game - brought West Hills to within three points at 72-69 with 2.8 seconds left. But on the inbounds, Gilbert again got the ball and again drained a pair of free throws to clinch the win for Ventura.
West Hills began the game on a 7-0 run, and held the game's largest lead at 23-15 midway through the first half. Ventura rallied to take a 30-27 lead late in the first half, but the Falcons finished the half on an 11-3 run and led, 38-33, at the break after a three by SG Kevin Casey in the final seconds of the half.
In the second half, Ventura quickly wiped out that deficit, tying the game at 40 on a Menner free throw and going ahead, 42-40, on a steal & basket by Menner. The lead went back and forth the rest of the way until Ventura pulled ahead for good with 2:33 left.
For Ventura, Menner had the game-high 25 pts, and also had 4 rebs, 2 asts and 3 steals. Gilbert had 19 pts, a game-high 10 rebs, 2 asts and 2 blocks. Dixon came off the bench to add 12 pts and 5 rebs.
For West Hills, Snead led the way with 18 pts, including the 4 threes. Grimes had 14 pts, 9 rebs and 3 asts. And PF Matthew Washington also reached double figures with 11 pts and 5 rebs.
box score
Tuesday, December 11, 2007 - 7 pm
at the Ventura College Athletic Event Center
West Hills Falcons 69:
3-Kevin Casey, SG - 3/8 fg, 3 reb, 4 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 2 pf, 8 pts
32-Guiressi Grimes, PG - 6/13 fg, 2/2 ft, 9 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 14 pts
33-Matthew Washington, PF - 5/10 fg, 1/1 ft, 5 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 3 pf, 11 pts
34-J.C. Snead, SF - 7/14 fg, 0/2 ft, 4 reb, 2 ast, 4 pf, 18 pts
40-Robert Watsabaugh, C - 1/2 fg, 1 reb, 1 stl, 2 pf, 2 pts
24-David Carter, G - 1/4 fg, 1 reb, 2 ast, 1 pf, 3 pts
10-Warren Lewis, G - 4/7 fg, 3 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 5 pf, 9 pts
22-Torey Phillips, G - 0/1 fg 1 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 4 pf, 0 pts
44-Jarod Joseph, C - 4/4 ft, 4 reb, 1 slt, 4 pts
12-Jamal Ross, F - 0 pts
team rebounds: 4
Totals: 27/59 fg (.458), 7/9 ft (.778), 35 reb, 16 ast, 3 blk, 6 stl, 23 pf, 69 pts
3-pt fg (8): Snead 4, Casey 2, Carter, Lewis
Fouled Out: Lewis 0.9 secs left
Turnovers (17): Washington 5, Grimes 3, Snead 2, Watsabaugh 2, Casey, Lewis, Phillips, Joseph, Ross
Ventura Pirates 74:
4-Kevin Menner, SF - 9/20 fg, 7/15 ft, 4 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl, 2 pf, 25 pts
15-Angelo Whitehead, PF - 3/4 fg, 2/3 ft, 7 reb, 1 ast, 8 pts
22-Robert Wright, PG - 0/2 fg, 4/4 ft, 5 reb, 1 ast, 3 stl, 1 pf, 4 pts
25-Dee Pinkard, SG - 1/3 fg, 0/1 ft, 2 reb, 2 ast, 2 pf, 2 pts
55-Tavaris Gilbert, C - 6/10 fg, 6/9 ft, 10 reb, 2 ast, 2 blk, 1 stl, 2 pf, 19 pts
33-Brandon Dixon, F - 5/7 fg, 2/3 ft, 5 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 3 pf, 12 pts
11-Prince Abidoye, G - 0/4 fg, 2 blk, 0 pts
42-Will Faiivae, F - 1 pf, 0 pts
20-Eric Gray, F - 1/3 fg, 2 reb, 1 ast, 2 pf, 2 pts
30-Andre Jamerson, G - 1/3 fg, 1 ast, 1 stl, 2 pts
10-Pepe Araujo, F - 0 pts
team rebounds: 2
Totals: 26/56 fg (.464), 21/35 ft (.600), 37 reb, 11 ast, 5 blk, 8 stl, 13 pf, 74 pts
3-pt fg (1): Gilbert
Turnovers (14): Whitehead 4, Menner 2, Wright 2, Gilbert 2, Faiivae 2, Dixon, Jamerson
Halftime Score: West Hills 38, Ventura 33
Updated Records: Ventura (#9-South) 10-3, West Hills 8-8
