JC REGIONAL : Ventura Downs Chaffey After Uphill Battle

For the fourth consecutive year, the Ventura College men’s basketball team will be in the Final Eight of the state championships.

The Pirates advanced with an 83-75 victory over Chaffey in a Southern California regional final Saturday night before a standing-room-only crowd of more than 4,000.

But it wasn’t easy for the Pirates (34-1) to make it to the tournament that will run Thursday through Saturday at UC Irvine. Ventura had to rally late in the first half and then hang on.

“We didn’t shoot particularly well and we were still in the game so that shows you what kind of team we got,” said Philip Mathews, Ventura coach. “It was very gratifying to beat them.”

The Pirates made 44.2% of their shots (31 of 70) but made only 10 of 21 free throws (47.7%). It was good enough to snap Chaffey’s 16-game winning streak.

Ventura struggled in the first half trying to contain Chaffey’s 6-foot-11 center Avondre Jones, who scored 22 points on a series of baseline jump shots and hooks in the first half--when the Panthers (25-10) built their lead to 42-31 before Ventura rallied.

Mathews had Hakeem Ward front Jones in the second half and the former USC center scored only five points to finish with 27.

Mathews also told guard Rafer Alston to take any open three-point shots the Panthers gave him. He scored 16 points in the second half, 12 on three-pointers, and finished with 24.

Ventura spotted Chaffey eight points at the outset and didn’t lead in the first half until Lance Fay put the Pirates ahead, 45-44, on a breakaway layup after stealing a pass with 1 minute 50 seconds left.

The Pirates opened a seven-point cushion several times in the second half but guard Robin Kennedy kept Chaffey’s hopes alive with a three-point basket with 29 seconds left to make it 78-75.

Chaffey was forced to foul and Gerald Zimmerman sank three of four free throws to go with Alston’s layup to ice the victory.

*

Riverside 117, Valley 111--The fourth-seeded Tigers went on an 11-2 spurt midway through the second half and led by 14 points with under four minutes to play before the Monarchs rallied to make it close in a Southern California regional final at Riverside.

The Tigers (31-4) have beaten the Monarchs eight consecutive times and 10 of 11.

Craig Griffin scored 27 points for the Monarchs (21-13), who shot 24 fewer free throws than the Tigers and were outrebounded, 57-41.

Mack Cleveland scored 20 points, Vernon Simmons added 17 points and 15 rebounds, and Mike Farmer had 15 points and eight assists for the Monarchs.