Last Saturday was the second to last home game for Moorpark College basketball as they concluded with a double-header that finished in one victory and one defeat versus their cross-town rival, Ventura College.

The men’s basketball game ended in some controversy as the clock ticked down to zero. The Ventura College basketball team was furious of how the game ended with a no call on a potential foul that took place at the end of the game.

The game went back and forth with seven different lead changes and eight times when they were deadlocked throughout the heated battle. Both teams were almost identical in every stat besides bench points, which Moorpark ended with a 19-9 advantage and sparked the Raiders.

Moorpark College forward, Elijah Holts, surpassed his season average points per game (7.8), with a silky 21 points that led the way for the Raiders. While playing almost the entire game, Holts scored in every way possible. He made six field goals, including one three-pointer and eight from the free throw line.

The Raiders escaped with a thrilling victory in a standstill score of 78-77, and improved their overall record to 9-14 and 3-5 in the Western State Conference. Moorpark College now has bragging rights over their cross-town rival, until they meet again in next year’s competitions.

For the second game of the double-header, the Lady Raiders struggled to get anything going on the offensive end and could not stop the outstanding freshman guard for Ventura College.

The 5 foot 10 inch guard, Katie Campbell, almost put up a triple double in her appearance against Moorpark College, posting 18 points, ten rebounds, and eight assists. The standout Ventura product was initially committed to Washington State University to play basketball, but ended up changing her mind and decided to stay home.

The Lady Raiders continued to fight throughout the whole game, but finished with a score of 44-71 in favor of Ventura College.

There were some bright spots for the women’s team that included, Emma Johnson pouring in 11 points and grabbing four rebounds. Furthermore, Vanessa Desimone also added 12 points for the Lady Raiders.

This loss drops their overall record to 18-9 and 6-2 in the Western State Conference.

Both of the Moorpark College basketball teams will try to end on a high note and finish their home finale with a win versus Santa Barbara, February 15.