Ventura Nearly Climbs Over Sierra

Ned Mircetic had every reason to be disappointed.

He had just witnessed his young, underdog Ventura College team push top-ranked Sierra to the brink before dropping a 62-60 decision in the state women’s basketball final on Saturday night at UC Irvine’s Bren Events Center.

But Mircetic was focusing on the bright side.

“This team exceeded my wildest dreams,” he said.

“If you had told me at the start of the season that we’d lose by two points in the state final, I’d be real happy.”

Mircetic said he couldn’t be more pleased with the development of the Pirates (32-4), who had four freshman starters.

It is the same team that lost to Sierra by 19 points in November.

Only Mircetic had a feeling the rematch would be considerably closer.

“We took some tough losses early in the [season],” Mircetic said. “But we made some minor adjustments and missed it by that much.”

For a while, it appeared Sierra (36-1) would post another lopsided victory.

The score was tied, 27-27, at the halftime but the Wolverines went on an 11-2 run at the start of the second half for a 38-29 lead. They increased the advantage to 45-33 on a layup by Amber Oliver with 13:54 remaining.

That’s when reserve forward Jackie Rhetta asserted herself.

With Rhetta, a freshman from Crescenta Valley High, scoring 13 of Ventura’s next 20 points, the Pirates nearly came all the way back.

Ventura, which forced 23 turnovers, pulled to within 61-60 on a three-point basket by Renae Hofmann with five seconds remaining.

After Rhayanna Berkowitz of Sierra made a free throw with 3.9 seconds to play, Rhetta drove into the lane but couldn’t get a shot off before the final horn.

Still, Mircetic chose to look at the bright side.

“Every game it’s been a different player stepping up and tonight it was Jackie,” Mircetic said.

“She just came up a little short.”

Rhetta finished with 17 points, followed by Kristin De Simone with 14 and Hofmann with 10.

But the Pirates made only 22 of 59 shots (37.3%) and were outrebounded, 49-30.

Forward Andi Pruit had 20 points and 21 rebounds, and forward Kylee Keroher had 15 points and 11 rebounds for Sierra.

It was the first state championship for Sierra.

It also was the first title for Coach Roz Goldenberg, who is in her eighth season at Sierra.

Goldenberg, who played at Cal State Northridge, coached NBA player Mitchell Butler at Oakwood High in the 1980s.

But she said the victory Saturday night is her fondest memory.

“This is the most gutsy, team-oriented squad I’ve coached in 24 years,” Goldenberg said.