Ventura Still Has Buena’s Number

Three-point baskets are nothing unusual for the Ventura girls’ basketball team, which has made 195 this season.

But the Cougars hung a different kind of three on Ventura Buena on Tuesday night in a 61-38 Channel League victory at Buena.

No. 10 Ventura (20-2, 5-0 in league) handed No. 15 Buena (13-8, 3-3) its third consecutive loss for the first time in Buena’s 31-year, 780-game history.

“It’s just awesome,” Ventura’s Jenni Dooley said of the victory.

The Cougars, who defeated Buena, 63-43, on Jan. 8, swept their crosstown rival for the first time in 25 years.

The Cougars, on pace to break the Ventura County record of 234 three-pointers they set last season, made 10 of 17 attempts from behind the arc Tuesday.

Freshman Caitlin O’Neill, averaging seven points a game, made four three-pointers and finished with 20 points.

“She picked a nice time to kind of come out of her shell,” Coach Ann Larson said.

Dooley and Katy O’Brien each scored 13 points and combined for five three-pointers.

Courtney LaVere, who has committed to Notre Dame, had 29 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots for Buena.

She scored her team’s first 17 points and scored all of the Bulldogs’ points in the first, third and fourth quarters.

Ventura must win two of its final three league games to clinch its first outright Channel League championship since 1976. Buena, which began the season with a 311-11 all-time league record, must win its last two league games and hope for three Ventura losses to extend its streak of 13 consecutive league titles.