JC BASKETBALL / STATE TOURNAMENT : Ventura Beats Riverside City, to Play for Title

Three Ventura College players scored 20 or more points to lead the Pirates to a 104-99 victory over Riverside City in the semifinals of the junior college state championships at the University of San Francisco on Friday night.

Guard Stephane Brown scored 26 points, and forwards Calvin Curry and Brandon Jessie each had 24 to lead the Pirates (37-1), ranked No. 1 in California.

The Pirates will play Columbia in the final tonight at 7:30. Columbia beat King’s River, 62-57, in the other semifinal.

Riverside (28-10) led by as many as 10 points during the first half before Ventura rallied for a 51-50 lead at the half.

Riverside forward Loudon Williams had a game-high 37 points, including 24 during the first half, and freshman guard Darryle Flicking added 27.

But Ventura pulled away by as much as 10 points in the second half and held on.

Ventura point guard Joey Ramirez made four consecutive free throws, the last two with 13 seconds to play, to give the Pirates a 103-96 lead.

Donovan Howell then made a three-pointer for Riverside with six seconds left to cut the Ventura lead to 103-99, but Ramirez made a free throw with two seconds remaining for the final point.

It will be the first state final appearance for Ventura since 1987, when the Pirates won the championship.