Ventura Has Streaks End, Finally, 83-69

IRVINE —  Losing doesn’t come naturally for the Ventura College women’s basketball team.

But it came definitively and painfully Saturday night.

Ventura, trying to become the first women’s team to win three consecutive state championships, was soundly defeated by San Jose, 83-69, in the state final before 550 at UC Irvine’s Bren Events Center.

The Pirates, winners of 35 in a row and 107 of 109 entering the game, fell behind, 8-0, and spent the game trying in vain to make a run against a poised San Jose team, which entered the state tournament ranked second to Ventura.

While San Jose celebrated its first title, several Ventura players wept.

“I’m sad that we lost,” sophomore guard Amirah Leonard said. “Half our team played scared in the first half when we shouldn’t have.”

Leonard scored 34 points, but her effort only kept the Pirates from being blown out.

San Jose (34-2), avenging a 65-63 loss to Ventura in the Visalia tournament in December, forced 21 turnovers in the first half and held the Pirates scoreless for nearly six minutes while building a 29-15 lead.

The Jaguars led, 39-28, after Tami Monson banked in a three-pointer with one second left in the half.

In the second half, Ventura (36-2) trailed by as many as 15 points and never came closer than eight.

“We made some runs and they were very difficult,” said Ned Mircetic, Ventura’s coach.

“When we did get it down to nine or eight, we just couldn’t make that big play just to see what their reaction would be. Their reaction was, they wouldn’t let us do it.”

Guard Natalia Jonas scored only 10 but was selected the tournament’s most valuable player, a testimony to the Jaguars’ balance.

“We’ve had depth all year and it took all of us to beat them,” San Jose Coach Terri Oberg said.

“This team has a lot of heart and spirit. We wanted them bad. Last year, we didn’t get to state and they did.”

Center Krisite Reed scored 16 points for San Jose and forward Cortney Keegan had 15.

Sophomore guard Kitch Kitchen, who has signed with Arizona State, directed the Jaguars’ up-tempo attack and had 14 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

“We felt like we deserved it,” Kitchen said. “We had no doubts. We knew we had more depth than them and we stayed on them when we needed to.

“We knew they couldn’t run with us.”

Ventura was slowed by an injury to sophomore forward Lynda Amari, who suffered a sprained right knee a 73-70 semifinal victory over De Anza on Friday night.

Amari, her knee heavily bandaged, limped through the game and finished with six points.

Center April Kozar and forward Kristin De Simone each scored eight points.

Ventura’s offense consisted of Leonard dribbling the length of the floor and shooting.

“We beat them before and they didn’t do anything they didn’t do the first time,” guard Anicia Rimm said.

“We just didn’t play well tonight. I’m disappointed.”

Said Leonard: “At least we got here. We proved a lot of people wrong.”