The stage was set for a Cinderella story.
After the Ventura College Pirates stormed into Pierce College and defeated the Brahmas, 98-82, back on Jan. 10, Pierce sought to return the favor on the Pirates’ home turf last night.
As the public address system broadcast Ventura‘s spotless 26-0 record to the raucous crowd at the Ventura College Athletic Center, sophomore guard Bridget Jenkins spoke up.
“26-1,” she declared.
But Pierce’s glass slipper shattered in the second half as they let a close game slip away, the Pirates winning by a score of 79-69.
“What killed us is that we let them run on us,” said assistant head coach Ralph Wesson. “We let them get those easy transition baskets. We celebrated our shots instead of sprinting back. Defensively, we weren’t playing as aggressively as we should. Mentally, there are just some things we can’t overcome.
The Brahmas struck first on a jumper by sophomore center Tiara Richardson, but were held in check as Ventura matched them shot for shot throughout the first half. Pierce never trailed by more than seven in the half and never led by more than three as they walked off the court down, 29-32, at the break.
After allowing the first four points of the second half, the Brahmas began the climb upward, breaking off a 15-4 run to take their largest lead of the night, 44-40.
But Ventura showed that they too had the ability to explode on offense as they went on a 26-9 run of their own to put the Brahmas away.
“We play in spurts,” explained Richardson of the team’s streaky second half. “If we had played the entire game tough, it would have been different. But when you have a lapse in a game, we do really badly and they score off our turnovers.”
While the Brahmas did turn the ball over 22 times, head coach Jim Couch feels that the real problem lies in the minds of his players.
“I think our mindset is our biggest problem,” he said. “We need to realize that we are a good team, get our mind out of the way and just play good basketball.”
Wesson feels that this loss may do just that.
“[This loss] will burn in them and make them hungry,” he said.
Up north, second place Santa Barbara City College (6-2 in conference) pounded Allan Hancock College, 89-51, extending their lead over Pierce (4-3) to one and one half games.
Moorpark College (5-2) also entered the playoff mix as their 57-37 triumph over Cuesta College at home thrust them into third place by one game over the Brahmas.
Despite falling into fourth place in the Western State Conference North Division, Pierce still controls its own destiny. Of the five remaining games in the regular season, two are against Moorpark and Santa Barbara at home. Pierce must finish the season in third place or better to be considered for postseason play, but a second place finish would virtually guarantee a spot.
“We know what we have to do so we’re not going to stop yet,” declared Richardson.
Next up, third place Moorpark comes to town Saturday at 7 p.m.