Stanley Sparks Valley Women Past Ventura in WSC Showdown

Nobody had to tell Ventura College women’s basketball Coach Ned Mircetic about the stakes involved in Saturday’s game against visiting Valley.

The Monarchs’ 68-54 Western State Conference interdivisional victory left the writing on the wall as well as the scoreboard.

“You could say going in (that) we were the top two teams in the conference,” Mircetic said. “Coming out, they’re the top team in the conference.”

Valley (19-3), the defending WSC South Division champion, overcame a slow start behind point guard Falicia Stanley to beat Ventura (17-6) for the second time this season.

“We really wanted this game,” said Stanley, a 5-foot-4 sophomore from Kennedy High who finished with 15 points, nine assists and six steals. “They wanted revenge. (But) we have a lot of confidence.”

Ventura, which had won seven in a row entering the game, gave Valley an early scare and appeared intent on exacting revenge for a 74-46 loss in the Orange Coast tournament.

But Valley calmly overcame a 25-21 first-half deficit with a 12-0 scoring run to close out the first half and set the stage for a one-sided second half.

“That was the difference in the game,” Valley Coach Doug Michelson said of the 12-point run, which was triggered by guard Rosa Mendez and forward Andrea Hoffman. “We haven’t put two good halves together yet. But we’re coming on.”

Valley built its 33-25 halftime edge to leads of as much as 22 despite a game effort by Ventura’s Venessa Hackett, who led all players with 21 points and 15 rebounds.

At one point in the second half, Ventura went 8 minutes 10 seconds without scoring as Valley’s pressure defense contributed to 25 Pirate turnovers on the night.

Valley, which hit 26 of 69 shots from the field, turned the ball over just 13 times.

Stanley, who connected on seven of eight free throw, was supported by Mendez (12 points, six assists), Katina Mines (12 points, seven rebounds) and Wendy Bruse (12 points).

While Stanley all but stole the show, Mines and Hoffman held Ventura’s high-scoring Cori Herman (10 points) to one field goal in the second half. “They took us out of everything we tried to do,” Mircetic said.

“They’re just a hell of a team. (Michelson) has got it all this year.”

Ventura outrebounded Valley, 45-37, but the Pirates hit just 21 of 61 shots from the field.