Ventura Roars Past Oxnard to Old-Fashioned Title

One tradition has been sustained at Ventura College. Time will tell if a new one will develop.

Ventura, the team that has set the standard for quality basketball in the Western State Conference over the past seven years, captured at least a share of the 1991-92 WSC North Division title Saturday night with a convincing 79-61 home victory over second-place Oxnard.

Led by the dominating inside play of freshman center Michael Tate, Ventura (27-4, 6-0 in North Division play) cruised to its seventh WSC title in as many seasons.

“It’s getting to be a tradition and the community expects us to win a (WSC) championship,” Pirate Coach Philip Mathews said after his club posted its 12th win in a row with two division games remaining. “Now they want us to go to the final eight and win a state championship.”

That outcome will be determined in the playoffs. But the Pirates are in no hurry.

“We still have a ways to go,” said the 6-foot-5 Tate, who made the most of his first start in the past four games with 14 points and 14 rebounds. “But we did play pretty well tonight.”

It started, as usual, with the Ventura defense.

“I’ve got to think that’s about as good a defense I’ve seen in the four years I’ve been here,” Oxnard Coach Remy McCarthy said after watching Ventura record 11 steals.

The Ventura offense was not outstanding (28 for 75 from the field), but it came through when it had to as Tate was supported by Jabari Anderson (13 points), Reggie Phillips (12) and Chico Langston (11).

Oxnard (17-11, 5-2), which made just 21 of 35 free throws, was led by guard Shawn Talley, who scored 16 points. Condor center Art Wallace, who had to contend with Tate, finished with 10 points and eight rebounds, and teammate Tony Ziuraitis added 12 points and eight rebounds.

In an aggressive first half, Ventura used a 16-3 scoring run over the final five minutes to take a 46-33 lead at intermission.

Forcing errors with its pressure defense, Ventura opened an early seven-point lead and threatened to break the game open.

But Oxnard rallied behind point guard Talley and even tied the score briefly, 30-30, before Phillips and Tate led the Pirates’ surge late in the half.