#16 Men's Basketball defeats Ventura but drops a close one to Hancock in WSC North action
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Moorpark (14-6, 3-1) | 43 | 30 | 73 |
|
Allan Hancock (15-4, 3-0) | 41 | 35 | 76 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Ventura (9-10, 2-1) | 40 | 28 | 68 |
|
Moorpark (14-5, 3-0) | 39 | 33 | 72 |
In week 2 of WSC North action, the Men's Basketball team rallied to defeat cross county rival Ventura, 72-68 but dropped a close affair at #12 Hancock, 76-73.
Hosting Ventura in the first game of the week, the Raiders and Pirates would exchange baskets thoughout the first half. The Raiders built a lead 5 points but with a combination of turnovers and missed shots left the door open for the visitors to stay close. With little over a minute left in the first half, the West county visitors took the lead and held on to it going into the lockerroom, 41-39. The second half was a story of runs. At the 18:24 mark the Raiders re-took the lead 41-40 but the visitors went on a 12-2 run to extend their lead 52-43 at the 13:40 mark. With the Raiders trailing by 9, Kenji Cooper hit a running three at 8:43 to start a 12-0 run and with Cooper's 2nd three of the run the Raiders took the lead for good. Key defensive stops and clutch free throw shooting, the Raiders closed out the game, 72-68
Avi Halpert led all scorers with 20 points. Jamaal Unuakalu had a double-double, 14 points 12 rebounds. Kenji Cooper added 12 points and 8 rebounds.
The Raiders hit the road to face another ranked team in #12 Hancock and a challenging environment to play in and it was not the outcome the Raiiders had hoped for.
The game started with the Raiders taking control for most of the first half building a 9 point lead and answering every Bulldog counter move. The hosts the went on a 9-0 run to take the lead with just over 2 minutes left in the half. The Raiders responded and took a 43-41 halftime lead.
The Raiders opened the second half with a 9-0 run of their own to pad their lead 52-41 and controlled most of the second half. The Bulldogs would eventually show why they're #12 in the state, chipping away at the Raiders lead. With just under 4 minutes left, Hancock took the lead and kept the Raiders at bay.
Avi Halpert led all scorers with 25 points. Jack Benyshek scored 20 points and Kenji Cooper added 11 points with 7 rebounds.
The Raiders are now 3-1 in WSC North and 14-6 overall. They travel to Oxnard on Wednesday, 1/24 then come home to host Cuesta on Saturday, 1/27 to finish round one of conference action.
