FRESNO – Coming off of a one point victory, the Ventura College Pirate women’s basketball team looked and played like a totally different team Saturday night in their 106-93 loss to Pasadena College.
“Tonight was more of a normal game to us except for the fact that for the first 30 minutes when the game really counted and mattered they were spectacular,” said Ventura’s head coach Ned Mircetic. “They made some shots that they deserved to win.”
Ventura exploded offensively shooting 48.6 percent on the game and 39.8 percent from behind the three-point line. This was a big improvement from the game against Foothill, when they shot 29.3 percent from the field.
Erika Ward who scored team high 33 points led the Pirates offensively. Ward was seven of 11 from behind the three-point line.
Ventura did everything that they could have done in they could have done despite the loss.
“I thought at times we defended them very well, and the shot still went in,” Mircetic said. “They started the game with a bank shot from three and a bank shot from the baseline. I looked into my own head and said ‘uh oh, they’re either going to stop making them or it’s going to be a long night for us.'”
Pasadena made just about every deep three they took, regardless of the defense, as they picked up 42 points from beyond the arc connecting on 14 of 21 three’s on the night.
“That long three from one dribble just inside the half court line and let it go, and we were at the NBA line guarding them,” Mercetic said. “There was still space between them and us and the shot just went swoosh.”
Just after the game, players were playing around on the court, but the pain was evident, both in their actions and statements.
“It hurts, that’s it,’ said freshmen guard Amanda Padilla. “We lost, I don’t know, it’s just a tough way to lose when you’re so close.”
In the end, even Padilla had to stop and admire Pasadena’s three-point shooting.
“A girl banked it from the baseline,” she said. “You can’t do anything when they make all their shots.”
Ventura ends their season with a record of 34-1. Mircetic’s record as Ventura coach moves to 564-85 overall.
Ventura’s No. 4 Michelle Santizo goes up for a jump shot as Pasadena’s No.34 Allegra Kohley and No. 32 Easter Faafiti try to maake the stop. (Christian Randolph)
