Pirates Continue Roll at Santa Barbara

The VC men's basketball continued to roll through the Western State Conference with a 93-74 victory at Santa Barbara Wednesday. Baron Bellamy led five players in double figures with 19 points with Jerimiyah Smith and Jeremiah Wilson each scoring 18. Snookey Wigington had 15 points and Kevin Anigbogu netted 13. Smith completed a double-double with 10 rebounds and Wigington dropped eight dimes in the contest.

It was a game early as the Vaqueros held a 17-14 lead midway through the first half. SBCC opened their margin to 23-18 at the 7:55 mark before VC scored seven straight points on a lay-up by Anigbogu, a dunk from Smith and a Bellamy three. There were six lead changes and four ties in the final five minutes of the first half before another shot from range by Bellamy gave the Pirates a 39-38 lead at intermission.

Ventura took control of the game early in the second half with an 11-2 run out of the locker room. Anigbogu made a lay-up to start the period and Bellamy nailed another triple on the next possession. Smith scored a pair of lay-ups and Wigington assisted an Anigbogu's dunk to answer a Vaquero score for a 50-40 lead with 17:31 left to play in the game. Santa Barbara tried to keep up, but a three by Kam'Ron Cigar with 12:46 on the clock maintained the double-digit lead for VC, 61-50.

Smith converted an old-fashioned 3-point play for a 13-point edge, 66-53, before the Vaqueros came back to within six, 69-63, with 7:51 remaining. The Pirate lead shrank to four points, 69-65 before another run put the game away. Anigbogu scored twice, the second time with another dunk, and Bellamy scored a three. Wilson also netted two with a dunk and Wilson hit a pair of charity tosses for an 80-66 Pirate lead with 4:27 remaining. Ventura was not threatened the rest of the way in the 93-74 victory.

The Pirates (16-3, 3-0) next host Cuesta on Wednesday Jan. 21. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00 pm at the Athletic Event Center.