VC Races Past Oxnard in WSC Opener

The VC women's basketball team raced to a 14-0 lead in the game's first five minutes en route to their 75-45 victory at Oxnard College Wednesday in the Western State Conference opener for both teams. Kylie Gallick led four Pirates in double-figures with 18 points on 7-8 shooting from the floor and Sofia Torres-Reyes netted 17. Kenya Edelhart and Jocelyn Contreras recorded 12 and 10 points, respectively. Gallick also pulled in nine rebounds and Edelhart handed out nine assists.

Alina Olivo opened the game with two made free throws and Edelhart connected for three. Gallick's jumper made it 7-0 and Contreras added a triple on the next possession. Contreras and Edelhart then hit back-to-back scores as the Pirates (12-4, 1-0) led 14-0 midway through the first quarter. Torres-Reyes closed the period with the hot hand and Ventura led 23-5 after one quarter of play.

Ventura made nine of 15 shots in the second quarter, including three 3-pointers, as the Pirates stayed a step ahead of the Condors' 9-12 shooting in the period. OC scored a deuce and a trey in the opening minute of the stanza, but Torres-Reyes' two and Edelhart's shot from range kept VC up with the pace. Contreras made a three with 4:39 on the clock to stretch the VC lead to 39-20, and Torres-Reyes hit a three to extend the lead to 20. Edelhart had a steal and lay-up at the buzzer to put Ventura ahead 44-24 at intermission.

 Gallick took over in the third quarter, making all four of her field goal attempts, many off assists by Torres-Reyes, and sinking four of six free throws. Alexis Howery came off the bench to score the final three points of the period, including a buzzer-beater on a back door pass from Edelhart, as the Pirate advantage ballooned to 29 points, 62-33.

Howery continued her hot streak into the fourth quarter, hitting on another lay-up and connecting from range to extend the margin to 67-33. Gallick and Edelhart each made jumpers to give the Pirates their largest lead of the game, 71-36, before cruising in for the 75-45 triumph.

Offensively, the Pirates shot 55 percent from the floor in the game (28-51) while going 7-20 from three (35 percent). 21 of Ventura's 28 field goals were assisted. Defensively, the Pirates pulled in a season-high 15 steals.

The Pirates next return home on Saturday Jan. 7 hosting Cuesta College. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00 pm and the Pirate men will play the Cougars in the nightcap at the Athletic Event Center.