Ventura Thrives Outside

Give Ventura High an outside shot and the Cougars will take it.

Keep giving them outside shots and they’ve got an outside chance of setting the regional girls’ basketball record for three-point baskets in a season.

The Cougars made 10 in a 78-60 victory over Bakersfield on Tuesday night in the first round of the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions Large Schools Division at San Marcos High.

“We’re on our way,” said guard Katy O’Brien, who had 21 points, nine steals and nine assists. “If we keep shooting the way we are, we’ve got a chance.”

O’Brien, Jenni Dooley (15 points) and freshman Megan Wagner (19 points) each made three three-point baskets for Ventura (8-1), which has 82. The season record is 218 by Crescenta Valley in 1996.

“You have to go with what you have,” said first-year Coach Ann Larson, who doesn’t have a starter taller than 5 feet 9. “That’s our strength.”

The Cougars, ranked No. 3 in the region by The Times, attempted 35 three-point baskets and only 34 from two-point range. They finished 31 for 69 overall.

When Bakersfield extended its defense, Ventura buried the Drillers with back-door cuts and quick passes for easy layups, including seven in the third quarter to help extend a 34-31 halftime lead to a 61-39 runaway.

Kelly Fay scored nine points and Karly Castro added eight for Ventura, which meets Chino tonight in a quarterfinal.

Barbara Johnson scored 24 points and Autumn Nichols added 20 for Bakersfield (7-2), which also lost to Ventura, 59-38, on Dec. 2 in the championship game of the Paso Robles tournament. The Cougars made 11 three-point baskets in that game.