Pirates Come Alive at Los Angeles Trade Tech

In downtown Los Angeles, a stone's throw away from the basketball mecca soon to be formerly known as Staples Center, the still-shorthanded Pirates' women's basketball team had its best offensive night of the season, posting a 65-45 victory over Los Angeles Trade Tech. Sofia Torres-Reyes led four players in double-figures with 18 points and Maddie Ozbourn and Alyssandra Lacanilao each scored 15. Sam Martinez hit four 3-pointers for 12 points and Kylie Gallick grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.

Trade Tech opened the game with a three, but the Pirates' Martinez had an answer from range on the next possession. The Beavers countered with another triple and Ozbourn scored in the paint to make it 6-5 for LATT less than two minutes in. The Pirates then went on an 11-0 run over the next seven minutes to take early control of the game. Torres-Reyes scored on a drive to the hoop and Ozbourn netted a bucket inside, followed by another trey by Martinez. Torres-Reyes and Ozbourn followed with another set of scores for the 10-point advantage with 1:40 remaining in the opening period. Ozbourn scored again in the final minute of the quarter and VC led 18-10 headed to the second.

The Ventura defense held Trade Tech to just six points in the second period as the Pirates took control of the game. Torres-Reyes hit for two, then three, and Martinez launched two more bombs from range and the VC lead was 29-14 midway through the stanza. Lacanilao then hit twice from beyond the arc and Ozbourn hit a pair of charity shots and the Pirates led 38-16 at the break.

Ventura maintained its advantage throughout the third quarter as LATT could not get untracked. Lacanilao had a pair of scores early in the frame, as did Torres-Reyes, and Gallick hit a pair of free shots and scored inside midway through the stanza. Torres-Reyes and Lacanilao closed the quarter with buckets in the final minute for a 55-33 margin headed to the final 10 minutes.

VC slowed down a bit in the final period, but they were still able to limit the Beavers offensively. Lacanilao and Torres-Reyes each hit 3-pointers late and Ventura rolled to its 65-45 victory.

Ventura shot 47 percent from the floor in the game (25-53) and hit for 38 percent from beyond the arc (9-24). The Pirates also limited their turnovers to eight and had 13 assists as a team. 

Ozbourn added eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocked shots to her point total and Lacanilao handed out six dimes with three steals. Torres-Reyes grabbed five caroms and recorded three helpers and Martinez pulled in a pair of thefts. 

The Pirates will return home on Wednesday Dec. 22, hosting Glendale. Tip-off with the Vaqueros is slated for 5:00 pm at the Athletic Event Center, and tickets are available online at https://ventura.vbotickets.com/events.