Return Engagement Goes to Ventura

The rematch was more of a rerun.

The Ventura College women’s basketball team again defeated Canyons by nine points, this time 67-58 in a Western State Conference interdivision game Saturday night at Canyons.

Ventura (22-1), two-time defending state champion, wore down the inspired Cougars (14-7) with a rapid-paced attack that broke open a close game in the final four minutes.

The Pirates, who defeated Canyons, 68-59, in the state final in San Jose last March, trailed, 31-29, at halftime, but took the lead for good on sophomore forward Lynda Amari’s three-point basket in the opening minute of the second half.

Each team has four players from last year’s roster. Ventura entered the game ranked No. 1 in the state, Canyons No. 8.

But Ned Mircetic, Ventura’s coach, emphasized this was not a case of history repeating itself.

“‘This isn’t a rematch of last year,” Mircetic said. “It’s a game for this year. This is a battle for ’98.

“We did about 85% of what we wanted to do. Our strategy was to keep the ball moving across the court.”

Amari and guard Amirah Leonard, members of the championship team last season, led Ventura.

Leonard, the most valuable player of the state tournament last season, scored a game-high 21 points. Amari scored 17, including nine of 12 free throws and two three-pointers.

“It’s just another game to us,” Leonard said. “There was a lot of talk before the game, but we didn’t let it get to us.”

Said Amari: “It doesn’t matter who we play. We take them all the same. We play with our hearts and we play hard.”

Canyons hurt its cause with poor inside shooting. The Cougars were 19 of 67 from two-point range. The majority of their attempts were from only a few feet.

“Every shot we got was within two feet of the basket,” Canyons Coach Greg Herrick said. “You can’t take a better shot than that, unless you dunk it. If we make our two-footers, we win the game going away.”

Canyons forwards Maxine Unverferth, Laura Tweedy and Zevette Mitchell were a combined nine of 37 from the field. Unverferth and Tweedy each scored eight points and Mitchell had nine. The trio combined for 48 rebounds.

“Basically, our post players missed too many two-foot shots,” Mitchell said.

“We didn’t use our advantage. As post players, we just didn’t get it done. It was just a lack of concentration.”

Guard Stephanie Wasserman led Canyons with 10 points. Wasserman’s three-point basket from the top of the key gave the Cougars their first lead, 30-28, with 45 seconds to play in the first half. Tweedy missed a two-footer at the buzzer that would have extended Canyons lead.

Herrick also downplayed the rematch. Yet, Ventura is the only WSC team Canyons has failed to defeat in his six years as coach.

“I’d like to get a shot at them again,” Herrick said. “Maybe our players will focus better.”