The VC men's basketball team used a 16-4 run against LA Pierce midway through the second half to take control in the Pirates' 74-66 victory in Woodland Hills. Jeremiah Wilson scored 17 points with eight rebounds and Kevin Hymes came off the bench to net 19 points with four assists and three steals. Kam'Ron Cigar contributed 10 points and dropped five dimes in the triumph.
Wilson hit a three to open the game and Bo Dolinsek followed with a lay-up as VC held a 5-2 advantage. The Brahmas came back, however, to tie the game at 11 and then again at 13 midway through the first half. The Brahmas and Pirates then had five more ties and six lead changes throughout the remainder of the period with Brandon Turner hitting a lay-up at the buzzer to put VC ahead 35-33 at intermission.
The game continued to be close through the first seven minutes of the second half. The teams tied four more times until Hymes' lay-up at the 13:18 mark put VC ahead 45-43 and began the decisive run. Isaiah Dudley took Elijah Brown's steal and turned it into two points and Dudley then answered a Pierce score making one of two free shots. Wilson cashed in Brown's dime for three with 11:25 on the clock to stretch the margin to six, 51-45, and Cigar scored a pair of buckets to answer another Brahma field goal for a 55-47 lead. Hymes and Dudley hit back-to-back lay-ups to put Ventura ahead 59-47 with 7:34 remaining in the game. Pirece attempted to make a run down the stretch, but VC was able to turn it back every time in the 74-66 win.
Turner netted seven points in eight minutes of play while Dudley and Dolinsek each recorded six points in the game.
Ventura will begin the second round of Western State Conference North Division play on Wednesday Feb. 5 hosting Moorpark at 7:00 pm.