Ventura beat an undermanned Raider team in convincing fashion Wednesday night, 77-52 at Moorpark Pavilion.

Ventura was not afraid to share the ball, with four of the Pirates’ five starters scoring in double figures. Erika Ward led the way for the Pirates with 16 points, while Julie Heurung added 13 points and nine rebounds.

The game started out sluggish for the Pirates, with Moorpark scoring the first basket of the game and quickly jumpping out to a 10-5 lead four minutes into the game. After that, the Pirates were able to completely take over the game.

Ventura went on a 17-0 run to take a 22-10 lead with 9:44 remaining, and never trailed after that. They finished the half on an 18-4 run, taking a 42-20 lead into the break.
Ventura Center Julie Heurung believes the balance on offense lead to the breakout game for the Pirates.

“Our team has a lot of balance,” Heurung said. “We spread the ball out very well, having everyone on the team contribute.”

VC Coach Ned Mircetic was very pleased with his team’s performance and he believes his team executed on offense very well against a well-prepared Moorpark team.

“The game was played very well,” Mircetic said. “We made shots, and were able to take over the game in the first half.”

With the win, Ventura improved its record to 9-0 in Western State Conference North play and a remarkable 28-0 overall this season. The victory allowed the Pirates to extend its lead over the Western State Conference North standings to two games, with only three games left to play.

With the loss, Moorpark falls to 14-13 on the year, and 6-4 in Western State Conference North play.

As dominant as Ventura has been, Heurung knows her team must stay focused and to prepare for the next game.

“We have to play one game at a time, never looking too far ahead.”

The Pirates have a big in-conference game with Santa Barbara City College on Saturday, in Ventura. Moorpark College will play at Santa Barbara City College next on Feb. 18.