Win Gives Ventura Trip North

The Ventura College men’s basketball team is on its way to some Northern Exposure.

The Pirates, ranked No. 1 in California, advanced to the junior college state championships next weekend at the University of San Francisco with an 84-72 victory over Compton in a third-round game of the Southern California regionals before 3,000 at Ventura.

Ventura (35-1), making its second consecutive appearance in the state championships, will join seven other teams.

“It feels good,” Coach Philip Mathews said. “We’ll celebrate tonight and tomorrow and get back to the business Monday of going up there.”

The Pirates, who haven’t lost a home game since March, 1991, got down to serious business quickly against Compton.

After the Tartars (21-13) took a 7-2 lead with 18 minutes 7 seconds remaining in the first half, Ventura went on an eight-point run for a 10-7 advantage.

A few minutes later the Pirates scored 10 consecutive points, including three-point shots by Brandon Jessie and Joey Ramirez, to take a 32-20 lead.

However, Compton rallied to cut Ventura’s halftime lead to 43-36.

“They executed their game plan well,” Mathews said. “We were fortunate to be ahead in the first half.”

The Pirates, who beat Compton five times this season, apparently didn’t like the Tartars breathing down their necks. After Compton’s Khary Hervey opened the second half with a fast-break layup, Ventura went on a 9-0 run for a 52-38 cushion with 10:53 remaining.

Compton fought back and closed the gap to 59-53 about four minutes later but the Pirates surged ahead again.

Jessie, who finished with a game-high 23 points, got the key baskets down the stretch for Ventura. He scored on two dunks and a hook to give the Pirates a 69-59 lead with 8:29 left.

“Until then that was an opportunity for us to get back in the game, but instead we were scrambling to get back into the game,” Compton Coach Ernie Carr said.

With Compton on the ropes, Ventura applied the final touch with an 11-5 run for an 84-65 lead before the Tartars scored the final seven points.

“Defense did it for us in the end,” Mathews said. “We made some stops in the end. Mike King was outstanding.”

King, a 6-foot-6 sophomore forward, finished with 17 points and had a game-high 14 rebounds. He also had three steals and blocked two shots.

The five starters did all the scoring for the Pirates. Ramirez, a guard from Santa Paula High, finished with 13 points, Stephane Brown had 16 points and seven assists, and forward Calvin Curry had 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Curry, a sophomore from Compton High who was the Western State Conference North Division player of the year, struggled in the first half, scoring only five points.

He said playing against his hometown’s team added some pressure.

“I came out a little anxious,” Curry said. “I was rushing my shots. . . . You always want the bragging rights in your city.”

Michael Whittiker led Compton with 16 points and Hervey had 15.