Ventura Girls Falter in Waning Minutes of Final

The Ventura High girls’ basketball team changed little of its usual game plan in preparation for Saturday night’s Southern Section II-AA Division championship game against top-seeded Brea-Olinda at Cal Poly Pomona.

The Cougars’ tried-and-tested ways proved worthy for three quarters, but Ventura finally fell short, 50-42.

Ventura led, 36-35, entering the fourth period but went scoreless for more than five minutes.

Cori Herman made Ventura’s first field goal of the fourth period on a three-point basket with 2 minutes 10 seconds to play and made a pair of free throws with 1:15 left to bring the Cougars to within 46-42.

But Brea-Olinda’s Jody Anton and Julie Towne each sank a pair of free throws down the stretch.

“We just wanted to go out and play good basketball like we had all year,” Ventura Coach Glenn Gray said. “There was not much we could do. It was too late to make any drastic changes. Obviously, (Brea-Olinda) is a good team.”

How good?

Brea-Olinda (29-1), the nine-time defending Orange League champion, won its third consecutive division title. The Lady Cats, the state Division II champion in 1989 and the runner-up last season, have won 84 of their past 86 games, including a streak of 55 victories during that span.

Brea-Olinda’s only loss this season was to nationally ranked Christ the King of New York in January.

Herman led Ventura with 19 points--including 15 points and three three-point baskets in the second half--and eight rebounds. Junior forward Denise Rea added 14.

Ventura (23-4), which previously had lost only to cross-town rival Buena, opened a 33-28 lead midway through the third period, but Brea-Olinda scored five unanswered points to tie the score with less than a minute to play in the third period.

Brea-Olinda led, 18-13, after the first period, scoring eight consecutive points in the final two minutes of the period. Jinelle Williams (10 points) and Anton (eight points) combined for all of Brea-Olinda’s scoring. Anton finished with 18 points and Williams with 16.

However, Ventura held the duo scoreless in the second period and limited Brea-Olinda to only four points to take a 23-22 halftime lead.