Ventura (8-10, 1-1) used an 11-0 run to expand a modest 8-point halftime lead into a runaway victory over Allan Hancock Wednesday night in a WSC-North contest at Ventura.
Four players scored in double digits for the Pirates, which went on a 7-0 spurt late in the first half to lead, 34-26, at the break. Then PG Rodney Bryant made a pair of three-pointers to start the decisive 11-0 run, pushing Ventura's lead to 53-33, and the Pirates led comfortably the rest of the way.
It was a relatively mellow evening at the Ventura College Athletic Center, a marked contrast to just a few years ago when capacity crowds cheered a high-flying Ventura team led by a coach wearing an orange blazer. Wednesday night the attendance was sparse, there were no ref heklers or local newpaper writers to be seen, and it appeared that the only person wearing orange was celebrating the 2012 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants.
Meanwhile, Allan Hancock (10-10, 1-2) was dealing with issues of its own, as SG Teyvon Myers, currently the state's second-leading scorer at 25.7 points per game, missed the game due to a team-issued suspension following an incident after the Bulldogs' loss to Cuesta last weekend. Coach Tyson Aye was non-committal about if or when Myers would return to the AHC lineup, saying only that "We'll see" and "he has some things he has to do" before a return is possible.
Wednesday night, Hancock sorely missed Myers' firepower, as the Bulldogs shot just 33% for the night, including missing 18 of their first 22 shots of the second half, and failed to keep pace with the Pirates. The Bulldogs also had just 2 three-pointers and generated just 2 steals, and easy baskets seemed few and far between.
Ventura took a 21-13 lead after a 3-pointer by SG Ivan Dooley midway through the first half. Hancock rallied to tie the score at 21 and trailed by just a point at 25-24 when Ventura used the 7-0 spurt to get some breathing room. SG Jalen Young made a 3-pointer and a mid-range jumper, and Bryant scored off a pass from Dooley to make it 32-24. The Pirates led, 34-26, at the half.
In the second half, Ventura was nursing a 9-point lead when the 11-0 run came, and the Pirates took control of the game. Ctr Anthony Morman made two free throws and a lay-up, the latter off a pass from Bryant, as the Pirates expanded the lead to 20 points at 53-33 with 11:02. Hancock never threatened to get back into the game after that.
Dooley led Ventura with 15 pts and 7 rebs, and also added 4 asts, a block and a steal. Bryant had 14 pts and a team-high 6 asts. SF Jon McMurry had 13 pts, including 3 three-pointers, and 4 rebs, and Young had 11 pts, 5 rebs and 4 asts. In all, 11 players saw action for the Pirates and each scored at least 2 points.
For Hancock, PF Isaiah Hicks had a very strong performance with game-highs of 21 pts and 9 rebs. But he was the only Bulldog to score in double digits. PG Andre Miller did a solid impression of his Denver Nugget namesake with 9 pts and a game-high 7 asts. SF Kadeem Minor had 8 pts, and Ctr D.J. Billingsley had an energetic performance off the bench with 6 pts and 6 rebs.
box score
Wednesday, January 15, 2014 - 7 pm
at Ventura College
WSC-North
Allan Hancock Bulldogs 58:
0-Andre Miller, PG - 2/7 fg, 5/6 ft, 5 reb, 7 ast, 2 pf, 9 pts
2-Yujijiro Yashiro, SG - 0/4 fg, 1 reb, 3 pf, 0 pts
15-Kadeem Minor, SF - 3/12 fg, 2/6 ft, 2 reb, 2 ast, 3 pf, 8 pts
21-Isaiah Hicks, PF - 7/14 fg, 6/10 ft, 9 reb, 1 blk, 1 pf, 21 pts
33-Josh Varney, C - 1/3 fg, 2/2 ft, 3 reb, 4 pts
14-Warren Dix, G - 1/ 4 fg, 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 pf, 2 pts
35-D.J. Billingsley, C - 2/3 fg, 2/2 ft, 6 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 3 pf, 6 pts
3-Danny Lopez, F - 1/2 fg, 1/2 ft, 1 reb, 2 ast, 3 pts
4-Lamar Clinton, F - 0/3 fg, 1 reb, 0 pts
11-Rijo Jackson, G - 2/5 fg, 3 reb, 2 stl, 5 pts
team rebounds: 8
Totals: 19/57 fg (.333), 18/28 ft (.643), 40 reb, 13 ast, 2 blk, 2 stl, 13 pf, 58 pts
3-pt fg (2): Hicks, Jackson
Turnovers (10): Miller 2, Yashiro 2, Billingsley 2, Minor, Dix, Lopez, team
Ventura Pirates 77:
11-Rodney Bryant, PG - 5/10 fg, 2/2 ft, 4 reb, 6 ast, 3 pf, 14 pts
21-Jalen Young, SG - 5/11 fg, 5 reb, 4 ast, 2 pf, 11 pts
32-Vondel Faniel, PF - 3/12 fg, 1 reb, 1 blk, 3 pf, 6 pts
33-Jon McMurry, SF - 5/8 fg, 4 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 13 pts
44-Anthony Morman, C - 1/3 fg, 2/2 ft, 4 reb, 1 pf, 4 pts
23-Eric Davis, F - 2/8 fg, 6 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 4 pf, 4 pts
4-Ivan Dooley, G - 4/7 fg, 4/7 ft, 7 reb, 4 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 2 pf, 15 pts
22-Najee Seabrooks, F - 1/4 fg, 6 reb, 1 blk, 2 pts
41-Dennis Savoy, F - 1/2 fg, 2/2 ft, 3 reb, 1 ast, 1 pf, 4 pts
3-Ramon Franklin, G - 2/2 ft, 1 reb, 1 pf, 2 pts
14-Tim Garcia, G - 2/2 ft, 2 pts
team rebounds: 2
Totals: 27/65 fg (.415), 14/17 ft (.824), 43 reb, 19 ast, 4 blk, 3 stl, 18 pf, 77 pts
3-pt fg (9): McMurry 3, Dooley 3, Bryant 2, Young
Turnovers (8): Dooley 3, Bryant, Young, McMurry, Seabrooks, Franklin
Halftime Score: Ventura 34, Allan Hancock 26
Updated Records: Ventura 8-10, 1-1 in WSC-N; Allan Hancock 10-10, 1-2 in WSC-N
Ventura went on an 11-0 run to lead 53-33 with 11:02 left and led easily the rest of the way.
