2018-19 Ventura College Women's Basketball Team News
The Ventura College women's basketball team continues to be the most-recognized academic achieving community college women's basketball program in the country, earning its 15th appearance on the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Academic Honor Roll for the 2018-19 academic year. The Pirates earned a combined 3.155 team GPA for the year, placing it 12th on the national list released on Tuesday by the WBCA.
The Pirates' season came to a heartbreaking conclusion Friday with a 59-57 loss to Diablo Valley College in the CCCAA State Quarterfinals at the VC Athletic Event Center. The Pirates, seeded No. 4 from Southern California, went toe-to-toe with Northern California's top-seed in a game that featured 12 lead changes and five ties, and the margin stayed primarily within five points. Cece Quintino led the Pirates (25-10) with a double-double of 14 points and 13 rebounds while Victoria Maciel and Madison Cvijanovich each totaled 11 points.
Ventura College redshirt freshman Cece Quintino has been named an Honorable Mention All-American by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. The 5-foot-8 guard from Liberty High School in Las Vegas leads the Prates in scoring at 16.8 points per game and assists with 3.7 dimes per contest. She is also second in rebounding with 5.6 boards per game. Cece becomes the 12th player in program history to earn All-American recognition.
The Pirates' women's basketball team has proven itself to be elite once again, defeating Irvine Valley 73-53 Saturday night at the Athletic Event Center to advance to the CCCAA State Elite Eight for a state record 18th time, the 17th time in 29 years under head coach Ned Mircetic. Talia Taufaasau had 24 points, including 19 in the second half, to lead the way while Emma Larson set her second-season high in as many games with 16 points. Cece Quintino netted 13 points with six rebounds and six assists for the Pirates (25-9).
Pirate guards Cece Quintino and Talia Taufaasau have been named to the All-State team by the California Community College Women's Basketball Coaches Association in meetings held last week. Quintino, a redshirt freshman from Liberty High School in Las Vegas was named second-team All-State while Taufaasau, a freshman from Canyon High School in Santa Clarita was named third-team. This is the 14th time in program history that the Pirates have had two or more players named to the all-state team.
Ventura College guard Cece Quintino had a double-double of 16 points and 13 rebounds Friday night, including eight points in the fourth quarter, leading four teammates in double figures as the Pirates' women's basketball team defeated visiting Rio Hondo 60-49 in the CCCAA Southern California Regional Playoffs. Talia Taufaasau had 15 points and six assists as the Pirates (24-9) advanced to the California Sweet 16 for the 22nd time in the past 29 years under head coach Ned Mircetic.
Four members of the 2018-19 Ventura College women's basketball team have been named All-Western State Conference in voting by the WSC North Division coaches earlier this week. Victoria Maciel, LaDaesha Merriweather, Cece Quintino and Talia Taufaasau all earned first-team All-WSC nods for their performance during the 2019 conference season.
The Ventura College women's basketball team has earned the No. 5 seed in the CCCAA SoCal Regional Playoffs. Ventura (23-9) will host No. 12 Rio Hondo College (16-14) on Friday Mar. 1 at 7:00 pm at the Athletic Event Center. VC defeated the Roadrunners 64-49 earlier this season on Dec. 29 in the semifinals of the VC-Optimist Club Holiday Tournament.
The Pirates' women's basketball team fell to visiting Moorpark 72-39 Friday night at the Athletic Event Center in the regular season finale. Victoria Maciel led VC with 14 points and five rebounds while Cece Quintino netted 11 points in the defeat. Madison Cvijanovich pulled in seven rebounds.
With less than four minutes remaining in the third quarter, the VC women's basketball team trailed Cuesta 35-32 and were in need of a spark. Enter Talia Taufaasau. The freshman point guard scored the game's next nine points to give the Pirates a 41-35 advantage and led Ventura (23-8, 8-1) with 25 points and nine assists in their 60-51 victory over Cuesta in San Luis Obispo Tuesday night. LaDaesha Merriweather, meanwhile seemingly rebounded every missed shot, pulling in 18 boards in the victory.
Pirate guard Talia Taufaasau netted 22 points, shooting 7-15 from the floor (35- from three) and 5-7 at the foul line as the VC women's basketball team over matched Oxanrd 71-33 Saturday night at the Athletic Event Center. Cece Quintino had 16 points, 14 in the second half, with seven rebounds, and Madison Cvijanovich totaled 12 points for Ventura (22-8, 7-1). Victoria Maciel contributed eight points to the Pirate victory.
It was not their best game of the season, but it was effective just the same. The Pirates' women's basketball team used a second quarter surge to pull ahead of Allan Hancock College Wednesday night at the Athletic Event Center, en route to posting a 56-42 victory over the Bulldogs. Cece Quintino led Ventura (21-8, 6-1) with 21 points, four assists and four rebounds while Talia Taufaasau chipped in 10 points and five dimes. Victoria Maciel had eight points and seven rebounds in the victory.
One benchmark of a successful season in basketball is a team reaching 20 wins. With their 69-58 victory at Santa Barbara City College Saturday night, the Pirates' women's basketball team reached 20 wins for the season, for the 30th straight year. Talia Taufaasau netted 24 points with seven assists and LaDaesha Merriweather posted a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds to lead VC (20-8, 5-1) to the wire-to-wire victory.
In a battle between two of the top-ranked teams in the state, the Pirates' women's basketball team dropped a 96-82 decision at Moorpark Wednesday night. The Pirates trailed the top-ranked Raiders by as many as 19 points midway through the third period before VC (19-8, 4-1) worked the deficit back to six points in the final minute of the game. Talia Taufaasau led No. 15-ranked Ventura with 21 points four rebounds and three assists while Cece Quintino added 19 points while handing out seven dimes and pulling in six boards.
Madison Cvijanovich had a career-high 15 points on five made 3-pointers, and Talia Tuafaasau controlled the Pirates offense with 19 points to lead VC past Cuesta 57-39 Wednesday night at the Athletic Event Center. Cavijanovich hit three triples in the first quarter and taufaasau scored 10 points in the second to knock back he Cougars with a one-two punch. Robin Prince totaled eight points with 13 rebounds to anchor the front line for the Pirates (19-7, 4-0).
Victoria Maciel led four Pirates in double figures with 17 points as the Ventura College women's basketball team raced past Oxnard 70-38 Saturday afternoon in a road Western State Conference North Division match-up. The redshirt freshman also had five rebounds and handed out five assists in leading VC (18-7, 3-0) to their eighth victory in the last nine games. LaDaesha Merriweather posted her third double-double in four outings with 14 points and 11 boards.
