The Ventura College women’s basketball team continued on their journey to a state title, with a decisive 77-51 victory over Canyons College at Ventura.
The victory earned the Pirates (33-0) a trip to Fresno, to face the winner of the Mt. San Antonio/Fullerton Regional Final.
Jessi Selleh led the way for the Pirates with an impressive 19 points, while Donielle Griggs added 11 to help Ventura advance to the State Tournament.
Canyons star guard Britney Bradley added 21 points for the Canyons College Cougars, who fell to 24-9 on the year.
Despite forcing Canyons to a turnover on their first possession, the Pirates had a rocky start, trading baskets with the Cougars and trailing 12-10 at the 14:59 mark.
The Pirates did not obtain their first lead until it was 16-15 with 12:18 to go. However, the Pirates made some adjustments and were soon able to take control of the game, capping a 13-3 run in the latter part of the first half, gaining a 33-23 lead on the Cougars at the 7:39 mark, and eventually leading 46-33 at the half.
Canyons was never able to narrow the 13-point deficit at the half, struggling heavily on offense, shooting a dismal 31 percent on the game overall.
Amanda Padilla’s three point shot at the 9:34 mark put Ventura up for good, 61-42, as they went on to win the game by 26.
Selleh believed that Ventura had to put the pieces together to get the win.
“We had to make quick adjustments in the beginning after a rocky start,” Selleh said. “We were able to settle down and find ourselves in the game, finishing strong at the end.”
Ventura Coach Ned Mercetic believed his team executed its game plan extremely well, stressing the importance of valuable possessions and playing hard.
“We held to our game plan exceptionally well,” Mercetic said. “In order for us to be successful, we had to play the best basketball on every possession, staying true to everything we had practiced.”
The state tournament in Fresno will be held March 13 to 15.
Ventura will match up against Foothill College with tip off set for 5:00 p.m., at Selland Arena in Fresno.
