No More Double Dates at Ventura

Ned Mircetic has seen long lines of ticket buyers before at Ventura College. But this was extraordinary.

By midafternoon, a queue of more than 300 people, stirred by forecasts of a sellout, formed outside the school gym, hoping to land a seat for the best two-for-one bargain in town.

It was March 1996. The Ventura men’s and women’s basketball teams were on the bill in need of victories to win a Southern California Regional title and a berth in the state tournament.

Mircetic, Ventura’s women’s coach since 1990, shakes his head at the memory.

“I came back later and there were 500 people in line,” Mircetic recalled. “I’d never seen anything like it.”

Nor may Mircetic ever see it again. Not soon, anyway.

Ventura’s women play their home opener Saturday night against Irvine Valley. The Pirates, two-time defending state champions, are 13-1, winners of three tournaments and still among the best teams in the state.

Yet, the crowds, as well as the surrounding buzz, likely will be diminished this season.

The Ventura men’s team, state champion three times since 1987 and even more of a perennial power than the women, last month was suspended for one season by school administrators after the Western State Conference levied a two-year probation because of multiple violations of state rules.

Mircetic, an assistant for five years to former men’s Coach Phil Mathews, said both programs thrived in part because they fed off each other’s success. The conference schedules of both teams routinely included home games on the same date.

The 3,500-seat Ventura gym, the largest indoor venue in Ventura County, often was filled to near capacity.

“That was really exciting, to know the guys were going to play right after us,” said Lynda Amari, a sophomore forward. “Most of the people came for the guys. They didn’t really know a lot about the women’s team. We’re going to wait until Saturday and see what it’s like.

“It’s kind of sad for the sophomores to know that we’re just going to play and then go home. Even when we were playing away, I was always staying to watch the [men’s] game.”

Mircetic said the Pirates likely will be affected by the absence of the men’s team.

“It hasn’t yet, but it will,” Mircetic said. “Ventura College was a really special place. People would come to see, not only the only game in town, but a good game. They’d come for the men’s game, but they’d usually arrive early to see the women.

“We drew strength from the men’s program. Our kids watched them practice and then they came to our practice motivated. This year, we’ll have to play our best every single game.”

The going figures to be more difficult this season. Only four players remain from the team that was 36-1 last season and defeated Canyons, 68-59, for the state title.

The Pirates aren’t nearly as talented a group this season.

“It’s going to be a challenge,” Amari said. “We’re really young and a lot of players don’t understand what it is like to play for VC, to play hard. Some of them don’t know yet how to make the change from high school. . . .

“Last year, we were a good team and we knew it. We didn’t have to prove anything to anybody. We would take care of business and just leave the gym. This year, we have a lot of people to prove things to. Like us.”

Sophomore guard Amirah Leonard, who played at Crescenta Valley High and was most valuable player of the state tournament last season, recalls being among the waiting throng outside the Ventura gym.

Leonard said the team shouldn’t have to prove it is worthy of community support.

“I think it will be more exciting for us because we’ll be the only game around,” Leonard said. “I hope people will support us because it’s that kind of community.”