COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Master’s Wins 5th in Row, 80-69

The Master’s College men’s basketball team had a 6-8 record only two weeks ago. However, Saturday night’s 80-69 win over host Christian Heritage improved the Mustangs’ record to 11-8 and marked Emeka Okenwa’s biggest scoring night as a collegian.

Okenwa, a native of Nigeria, had 29 points to key The Master’s District 3 victory in El Cajon.

Okenwa, a junior center who transferred from Southern Illinois, also had 10 rebounds.

Rogerio Soares, a sophomore forward from Brazil, had 12 points for the Mustangs, who made 25 of 33 free throws. The Hawks, meanwhile, managed only 14 of 28. The Master’s shot 54% from the field, many points coming on fast breaks. Christian Heritage was held to 38%.

In another men’s game:

Oxnard 56, Valley 40--Lance Fay scored nine of his game-high 18 points in the first half as host Oxnard raced to a 30-15 lead at intermission in a Western State Conference game.

Stevie Amar (13) and Tony Ziuraitis (11) also finished in double figures for Oxnard (13-8, 2-3).

WOMEN

Valley 86, Oxnard 48--The visiting Monarchs bolted to a 16-4 lead and didn’t look back in a Western State Conference intra-division game at Santa Clara High.

Valley, which lost its conference opener to Ventura, has since won five straight and is currently ranked fifth in the state.

Nicole Baynes paced the Monarchs (19-4, 5-1 in conference play) with 14 points. Jeannie Russell came off the bench to add 13 points.

Teammates Michelle Cabaldon and Rosa Mendez scored 12 and 10 points for Valley, which made 35 of 72 shots from the field.

Ventura 90, Pierce 52--All five Ventura starters scored in double figures, despite leaving the game midway through the second half of a Western State Conference rout of the visiting Brahmas.

Sophomore forward Jennifer Wells, a Buena High graduate, scored a team-high 20 points, including four three-point baskets, and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the way for Ventura (14-4, 6-0).

Cori Herman scored 15 of her 17 points in the first half to spur the Pirates to a 49-22 halftime lead. Erica Probasco added 12 points. Tara Sanders and Nicole Ellis each scored 10.

Ventura was 11 of 26 from three-point range. Jodi Williams came off the bench to make all three of her three-point attempts.

Pierce’s Yolanda Davidian scored a game-high 23 points.

Canyons 70, Compton 60--Karen Sklar scored 17 points to lead the Cougars past Compton in a Western State Conference game.

Canyons (9-12, 3-3) held a 17-point lead early in the second half, but sloppy play by the Cougars helped Compton (1-11, 0-6) make a run. Canyons, however, did not relinquish the lead.

Kate Stoll scored 13 points and Jana Kovar added 11 points and 17 rebounds for the Cougars.

Bakersfield 78, Moorpark 66--Nat Kliewer scored a game-high 39 points to lead the visiting Renegades to a Western State Conference victory.

Tamara Pacheco paced Moorpark (2-4 in conference play) with 24 points. Teammates Lori Church and Stephanie Ungersma added 14 and 12 points.

The Master’s 73, Whittier 52--The Mustangs took a happy break from an otherwise dismal 3-10 season by holding Whittier to 15 points in the second half. The Master’s shot 50% for the game and was led in scoring by Deborah Prociw (23 points) and the McMurray sisters, Audrey (16) and Heather (12). Tricia Plummer added 12. Kim Stumpf had 18 points and 14 rebounds for Whittier.