2023-24 Ventura College Men's Basketball Team News
The Ventura College Athletic Department claimed its 14th Top-13 finish in 19 years, placing 13th in California in the 2023-24 all-sports National Association of Two-Year College Athletic Administrators (NATYCAA) Cup standings. Pirate Athletics totaled 106 points overall, besting its 105.5 points earned in 2022-23 that placed 12th. Ventura was also 17th for the second straight year in the Daktronics Cup Standings with two-years schools from California, Oregon and Washington.
The Ventura College Athletic Department is proud to announce the transfer of 71 student athletes to four-year schools following their time with the Pirates. 48 of those transfers plan to continue their sport with 34 earning athletic scholarships. The VC class of 2024 will transfer to 48 different schools in 19 different states across the country. Additionally, 17 of the Pirate alumni have earned academic scholarships at their new schools.
Ventura College alumnus Derick Pugh '92 has been named the Pirates' head men's basketball coach for the 2024-25 season. He begins his second stint on the bench with the Pirates as he was an assistant coach on VC's state championship teams of 1995 and 1996, helping Ventura to a combined 73-3 record. Pugh brings 16-years of coaching experience to Ventura College.
Three Pirates' men's basketball players earned All-Western State Conference honors in voting by the conference coaches following the 2023-24 regular season. Sophomores Caleb Gilbert and Carter Alexander along with freshman Reese Widerburg each were named first team All-WSC for their play in the conference season.
The Pirates' men's basketball team finished the regular season on a high note with a 66-62 upset win over state No. 11-ranked Allan Hancock at the Athletic Event Center. Caleb Gilbert led five players in double figures with 12 points to go along with five steals and four blocked shots. With the victory, VC (15-13, 8-4) cemented its third place standing in the Western State Conference North Division.
The Pirates' men's basketball team held off Santa Barbara Saturday afternoon for a 50-41 victory at the SBCC Sports Pavilion. Vernon Henry was 9-10 at the free throw line and scored 13 points to lead Ventura (14-13, 7-4) and Caleb Gilbert contributed 10 points. Derrick Young had eight points and a team-best eight rebounds in the victory.
The VC men's basketball team turned in a dominant performance, defeating Los Angeles PIerce 85-45 Wednesday in Woodland Hills. Caleb Gilbert led the effort for VC (13-13, 6-4) with 25 points and 15 rebounds while Reese Widerburg and Carter Alexander recorded 17 and 16 points, respectively. Beckham Rutherford came off the bench to score 10 points and Dominik Contreras grabbed seven boards in a reserve role.
The VC men's basketball team battled back from a 10-point deficit in the final six minutes of play, only to see Moorpark sink a pair of free throws in the final seconds in the Pirates' 72-71 loss against the Raiders Saturday at the Athletic Event Center. Reese Widerburg netted 18 points to lead VC (12-13, 5-4) and Carter Alexander scored 15. Dominik Contreras, Landreau Tate and Caleb Gilbert all had key scores in the final minutes in the Pirate effort.
Less than a month after hanging 106 points on Cuesta in San Luis Obispo, the Pirates men's basketball team could not find their shooting touch at home, dropping a 67-54 decision to the Cougars Wednesday at the Athletic Event Center. Kai Johnson led VC with 13 points and Reese Widerburg netted 10 in the setback. Landreau Tate and Caleb Gilbert each pulled in seven rebounds for VC (12-12, 5-3).
The Pirates' men's basketball team got back on track Saturday afternoon with an 81-68 victory at Oxnard. Reese Widerbrug scored 18 points with three assists to lead the way and Caleb Gilbert posted a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Carter Alexander added 14 points for Ventura (12-11, 5-2) as they began the final round of Western State Conference North Division play.
The Pirates' men's basketball team had a difficult night Wednesday, falling to conference-leading Allan Hancock College 78-50 in Santa Maria. Caleb Geisendorfer came off the bench for 12 points and eight rebounds and Kai Johnson also added a dozen in a reserve role to lead Ventura (11-11, 4-2).
Behind a strong team effort in which eight players scored eight or more points, the Ventura College men's basketball team sailed past Santa Barbara 95-66 Wednesday at the Athletic Event Center. Carter Alexander led the way with 22 points and seven rebounds and Caleb Gilbert added 13 points and five boards. Reese Widerburg was the third Pirate in double figures with 10.
Carter Alexander hit a season-best six 3-pointers en route to 28 points leading the Pirates' men's basketball team to an 88-79 victory over Los Angeles Pierce Saturday at the Athletic Event Center. Dominik Contreras scored 22 points while Caleb Gilbert and Reese Widerburg added 17 and 11 points, respectively for Ventura (10-10, 3-1).
The VC men's basketball team held a 68-67 advantage with 1:19 remaining in the game Wednesday at Moorpark before yielding the final five points of the contest in their narrow 72-68 defeat. The final five minutes of play had four lead changes and three ties between the evenly matched rivals. Carter Alexander led Ventura (9-10, 2-1) with 16 points and Kai Johnson netted 13. Reese Widerburg added 11 points while Landreau Tate contributed seven rebounds and four assists to the effort.
Pirate freshman Dominik Contreras scored a career-high 32 points as the VC men's basketball team easily handled their longest road trip of the Western State Conference season with a 106-74 triumph at Cuesta on Saturday. Caleb Gilbert netted 23 points and Reese Widerburg scored 11 as the Pirates evened their overall mark at 9-9 and moved to 2-0 in WSC play.
Ventura's Caleb Gilbert netted a game-high 26 points with 10 rebounds and a pair of blocked shots to lead the Pirates' men's basketball team to a 91-72 victory over Oxnard to open their Western State Conference North Division schedule Wednesday at the Athletic Event Center. Vernon Henry and Caleb Geisendorfer each added 14 points to the effort as VC (8-9, 1-0) won its third consecutive game. Reese Widerburg scored 11 points in the victory.
