Second Time Around : Ventura Saves Best For Canyons, 68-59

Nearly two minutes before the final buzzer, raucous Ventura College supporters in the crowd donned white T-shirts that semi-officially anointed the Pirates as women’s state champions.

At the end, the Pirates proved the celebration wasn’t premature, defeating Canyons, 68-59, Saturday night at San Jose State to win the State Junior College Basketball Championships for the second consecutive season.

The Pirates (36-1) became the fourth school in a row to claim back-to-back women’s state titles. Canyons (33-5) was making its first appearance in a final.

It was the 29th consecutive victory for the Pirates and the second over Canyons this season. Ventura downed Canyons, 77-70, in a Western State Conference interdivisional game in January.

Ventura got the job done Saturday night with superior depth and experience, and with a spark from guard Amirah Leonard, the only freshman on the starting lineup.

Leonard scored 19 points and defended well against Canyons’ versatile point guard Kyetra Brown as the Pirates won for the 71st time in 72 games.

Leonard was named the tournament’s most valuable player.

“[Leonard] was a perfect fit with this team because there was no pressure on her to be a star,” said Ned Mircetic, Ventura coach.

Leonard scored 12 points in the first half, accounting for nine points during a 12-0 run that put the Pirates ahead, 29-20, with 5:56 left in the half.

Perhaps her biggest basket came with 3:34 remaining in the game, when she made a three-pointer from the left wing to give Ventura a 63-57 advantage.

The Cougars pulled to within 60-57 moments earlier on two free throws by LaCresha Clark.

“When we gave up the three to Leonard, that might have done it,” said Greg Herrick, Canyons coach.

Canyons, playing short-handed because backup guard Narineh Hartoonian sat out after suffering a mild concussion in the semifinals Friday night, lost Brown because of a possible broken thumb with 7:04 left.

Brown, who had 16 points, landed heavily on her right hand after being called for a charging foul. She was taken to a hospital for X-rays.

Less than a minute before Brown’s injury, the Cougars watched their chances begin to evaporate when forward Gohar Tumanian fouled out. Tumanian, who scored 42 points in the quarterfinal and semifinal victories, finished with 10 points.

Canyons suited up eight players; Ventura had 13 players in uniform.

“They just keep coming at you in waves,” Herrick said. “We were trying to do it with mirrors. We tried anything in the bag of tricks.”

Mircetic substituted freely and the fatigue was evident on the faces of the Canyons players in the second half.

“I thought we played great defense the whole game,” Mircetic said.

The Pirates had 14 steals, three by center Adria Sneed, and held Canyons to 28.1% (18 of 64) shooting. The Cougars made only two of 14 shots from three-point range (14.3%).

Ventura shot 37.9% (25 of 66).

Sneed, one of six Pirates who played on Ventura’s championship team last season, had 11 points and 10 rebounds. Brianna Kanongata’a finished with 10 points and April Garrish had nine points for the Pirates.

Forward Nikki Turner scored 11 points for Canyons and center Zevette Mitchell, who picked up four fouls in the first half but didn’t foul out, finished with 10 points.

Brown, Clark and Sneed were named to the all-tournament team.

For Garrish, a forward and one of the sophomores who played a vital role with the Pirates last season, there was a marked contrast in the two championships.

“We weren’t scared [in 1996] but we were tentative,” Garrish said. “This time we came in like a pack of wolves.”