Mooraprk Guard, #23 Ethan Hermann, rises up for a contested three-point attempt against the taller defender in the Men's basketball game against Ventura College. Photo credit: Betty-Jean Hanna
Moorpark Men’s basketball lost to Ventura College 93-97 in an overtime thriller.
On Saturday, Jan. 20, the Moorpark Raiders Men’s basketball team faced off against their Western State Conference Northern Division rival, Ventura College Pirates, at 3:00 p.m. in the Raider Sports Pavilion, and this rivalry did not disappoint.
The Raiders bursted through the gates and took a commanding lead to start the first half with a score of 21-8, which grew to a twenty point, 28-8 Moorpark lead through the first nine minutes of action. Moorpark would not slow down at that point, and they continued to showcase their offensive talent as they were able to enter the halftime break with an eleven point lead with the score being 45-34. Cole Micek, the Raiders’ Guard and January’s Male Scholar Athlete of the Month, knew that they needed to stay composed after the high scoring first half.
“He [Coach Link] stressed about keeping our poise and staying calm,” Micek said. “We just had to keep them off the offensive glass.”
Now came the second half, which unlike the first half, was littered with lead changes and obtained a heightened intensity. The Pirate comeback that ended the first half, brought the score to 62-60 with the Raiders in the lead, but Moorpark was able to lengthen the lead back to a nine point advantage, 69-60, with six and a half minutes to go. Ventura would eventually comeback to tie up the score 80-80 with forty-nine seconds left in regulation. With the score all tied up, the back and forth theme stayed true, with both teams scoring in the final seconds of this heart-racing game to force overtime with an 82-82 tie. Nicholas Becerra, the Raiders’ forward, felt the intensity change on the court, but knew how to step up.
“It’s a chance for you to be a competitor,” Becerra said. “There’s nothing but excitement, we’re ready to step up to any challenge.”
This enthralling back and forth action that ensued in the second half carried its way straight into the extra five-minute overtime session. Both teams came out strong and did not let up on offense with the tie being pushed from 82-82 at the end of regulation, to a 93-93 tie with only 40 seconds left in overtime. One team had to eventually win this game however, and the Pirates were able to score four more points to secure the victory in the final seconds of the game, 97-93. Head Coach of the Raiders Men’s basketball team, Gerred Link, was positive following the game, despite the final score.
“I love where we’re at and I think that we are trending in the right direction,” Link said. “Just to keep fighting the whole time, I couldn’t be more proud of the group.”
The Raiders’ star of the night was Cole Micek who recorded 31 points, 2 steals, 4 rebounds, and 1 block. Cole also received the January Moorpark College Men’s Student Athlete of the Month Award at halftime of the Women’s game.