VC Basketball Claims Sixth Straight WSC Crown

VC basketball's We Play Hard intensity was on full display Monday as the Pirates defeated Hancock 86-70 to clinch their sixth consecutive Western State Conference North Division championship. For much of the game it was Adrian McIntyre's world as he torched the nets for 38 points with six rebounds and four steals. Anthony Garza totaled 17 points and a game-high nine boards while Anthony McIntyre scored 12 points for Ventura (25-2, 11-0), who claimed the 25th WSC title in program history.

The intensity was palpable in the Athletic Even Center a the game began with the conference title on the line. The Bulldogs entered the contest a game behind the Pirates in the loss column in the standings, and a Hancock victory would set up a possible winner-take-all showdown in the final game of the regular season later in the week in Santa Maria. Much to the delight of the partisan crowd, Ventura opened with the first six points of the game on buckets by Garza, Shulton Tobin and Anthony Mc. Ventura led 15-13 at the 11:21 mark when Adrian Mc. hit a 3-pointer to begin a 13-3 Pirate run over the next three minutes. Adrian Mc. score nine points on the run and the Pirates led 28-16 at the 8:35 mark of the first half.

After Garza scored to make it 30-18, Hancock scored the next 11 points to climb back into the game. Garza's free throw and lay-up stopped the skid and he scored another bucket, followed by two for Anthony Mc. for a 27-32 Pirate advantage. AHC scored on a dunk and a three on the next two possessions, however, and the game was tied at 37 with 47 seconds left in the half. Garza made another charity shot for a 38-37 VC edge at halftime.

Tobin netted the first bucket of the second half for the Pirates, but Hancock was not going to go down lightly. The Bulldogs scored the next six points to take a 43-40 advantage, and the teams went back and forth until Adrian Mc's lay-up with 16:35 on the clock put Ventura ahead for good, 46-45. Adrian followed with another lay-up off a Tobin steal and assist in the midst of scoring 17 of 21 points for the Pirates. Garza assisted Adrian's 3-pointer at the 13:47 mark for a 54-47 lead, and he \nailed another triple to stretch the lead to double-figures, 59-49, at the 12:18 mark.

Jelani Bell got into the act with a shot from range with 9:28 on the clock, and Garza dropped another dime to Adrian with 8:29 remaining for a 70-57 margin. Garza had a monster dunk from Michael Noulowe's assist and Bell made another three for an 18-point advantage, 77-59, with 5:48 on the clock. Adrian had another lay-up at the 5:23 mark to stretch the lead to 20, 79-59, making the lead almost unsurmountable.  The Pirates rode the momentum to the 86-70 victory.

Bell finished the game with 10 points and Tobin scored seven with six assists. 

The newly crowned WSC champions have one final game in the regular season, traveling to Santa Maria to take on Hancock on Friday Feb. 25.  Playoff seedings will then be announced on Sunday Feb. 27.