Following a 3 p.m. shootaround at Wheeler Gym, Ventura College men's basketball captain Danny Benson pronounced the Pirates ready for their regional semifinal at No. 7 Riverside Saturday night.

"I feel like we're ready," said Benson. "We've practice hard all week. I feel like we're well prepared.

The team was informed head coach Ned Mircetic would not be joining the team after the conclusion of the shootaround.

"We've got to bring it back for coach Mircetic," said Benson. "We did it all through December without him. He's prepared us well and we want to practice again Monday."

The Ventura College men's basketball team needed huge nights by forwards Will Faiivae and Randy Hunter to clinch a share of the WSC North title Saturday night

Faiivae had 16 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. Hunter had 16 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks.

"It was a guaranteed bucked with Will and Randy inside," said sophomore captain Danny Benson, who had 13 points, eight rebounds and three assists.

Here's the full Homefield Sports broadcast of the Ventura College men's basketball team's 70-66 comeback win over first-place Saturday night in San Luis Obispo.

Here's the postgame interview with Danny Benson and Randy Hunter:

When Danny Benson was fouled with 2.7 seconds remaining Saturday night in San Luis Obispo and the Ventura College men's basketball team holding a slight 68-66 lead on first-place Cuesta, sophomore guard Prince Abidoye had a question for the captain:

"I asked him if he was going to make a free throw and he said he was going to make both. So I wasn't worried after that."

Benson made both free throws to clinch the 70-66 win.

Danny Benson, captain of the Ventura College men's basketball, on the Pirates' 70-66 win at Cuesta Saturday night, which avenged a conference-opening loss to the Cougars Jan. 7:

"We had to get revenge... So sweet."

In the wake of the 64-59 loss at Hancock Wednesday night that knocked it out of first place in the WSC North, the Ventura College men's basketball team can expect some changes in practice today:

"I'm going to talk to the team about making some changes in the starting lineup, because we haven't been getting off to a fast, hard start," said head coach Ned Mircetic Wednesday night. "That'll be part of our discussion in practice (this afternoon).

Ventura has started point guard Dee Pinkard, guard Eric Gray, guard Danny Benson, forward Anthony Burtley and center Will Faiivae for much of the season.

"The inconsistency in the starting five is forcing my hand to make changes," said Mircetic. "I'm not pleased at all with how the first two, three, four minutes of the game (have been)."

"I can't depend on what we have right now and this time of year, I should be able to depend on some things with absolute certainty."

Benson scored 13 points Wednesday to lead the team for the fifth time in six games and Pinkard added 11 points. But Gray was 1 of 7 from 3-point line in totaling five points and Faiivae, mired in foul troubled, was shut out, 0 for 2 from the field with five turnovers.

"I think I know what the problem is and I'm going to give it a good look in practice (this afternoon)," said Mircetic. "I don't understand how you can be at game No. 6 in league, the end of the first round, and we don't come out and kick somebody's (butt). Even if we don't do it, we come out with that intent and we execute it.

"It's late in the year, but it is what it is. As long as you have a breath in you, you look to make adjustments, whether they are subtle changes in footwork or sweeping changes in the lineup. We're going to be looking at all options.

"I can't deal with getting off to slow starts like that, game in, game out... I'm going to look at shaking things up a little."

Faiivae, who averages 11.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, was shut out for the first time all season after picking up two quick fouls and sitting the remaining 17 minutes of the first half. He had been held to single digits once in the previous eight games.

"He got one cheap foul and one regular Will foul," said Mircetic. "We need him rebounding, we need him on defense, we need him on multiple fronts. For him to be in foul trouble necessitates adjustments to the lineup that I don't want to make at that time."

Before the late fireworks in the women's game, the Ventura College and Santa Barbara City College men's basketball teams played a coaching chess match.

Ventura won 88-76, but not before Santa Barbara head coach Morris Hodges gave the Pirates plenty of trouble by switching from Vance Walberg's drive-and-kick offense to the triangle offense and slapping on a zone press.

"They're a good team, they're well coached and they made some adjustments," said Ventura coach Ned Mircetic. "The game was up for grabs

"It took four of five minutes, but we finally hit the brakes and put the car into gear again."

The offensive adjustment helped Santa Barbara close a 21-point deficit to 68-64 with 7:31 to play.

"We got a little lazy," said point guard Danny Benson, who keyed the game with 16 points and seven assists. "When they came back, we had to go back to what our coaches told us to do."

"I was scared there for a second," said center Will Faiivae, who had 10 points and rocked the rim with three memorable dunks. "Everyone's playing hard. We're hungry for conference."

Santa Barbara had dug out of a 19-point hole in win over Pierce last week.

"We couldn't let them do it this game," said Benson.

Special mention for Ventura guard Eric Gray, who not only scored 11 points, but helped the Pirates shut out high-scoring Santa Barbara guard Mark Keeten.

"We knew Keeten from last year," said Benson. "We did what we needed to do."

Ventura College guard Dee Pinkard, who missed the end of his freshman campaign with a knee injury, seems to be turning a corner.

The Hueneme High graduate had a big game in the Ventura College men's basketball team's best game thus far this season, a 97-77 win over Santa Barbara City.

Pinkard had eight points, 13 rebounds, nine assists, one block and two steals.

"And he's going to get better each week as he gets in better shape from the injury," said coach Will Cowen.

Despite being ahead 23-9 and within 87-85 with less than four minutes to play, the Ventura College men's basketball team fell to No. 13 Bakersfield Saturday night in the semifinal of its "We Play Hard" Tipoff Classic.

Despite missing out on a potential valuable upset, the Pirates (1-1) were pleased to have performed so well on the first weekend of the season.

"We played well and got beat by the better team," said coach Ned Mircetic. "We need to realize that fact.

"The kids played hard."

Sophomore Danny Benson was pleased with the team's progress under its new coaching staff.

"We played real hard tonight. I think we're going to do well this year."

Some thoughts by coach Ned Mircetic on the Ventura College men's basketball team's performance in its scrimmage Tuesday against Westmont:

"Dee Pinkard had a kind of coming-out party."

"Prince (Abidoye) played well. He was able to get to the rim and draw a lot of fouls."

"Will Faiivae was active, but he was foul prone."

"Danny Benson is a breath away from being a tremendous player for us."

The sophomores mostly stood out. But there was one freshman who was highlighted, Channel Islands High product Jordan Harris.

"Jordan Harris showed energy on the board and patience in the high post."

Mircetic was upset that point guard Mike Diacos, a Camarillo High graduate who transfered from Nebraska, didn't see more playing time.

"Diacos did fine. I didn't play him enough. I was trying different combination and he got squeezed out of the combinations. That was more on me looking at different combinations."

Today was the first day of fall class, which means its the first day players can be locked into their schools for the 2008-09 seasons. Tracking which players attended class where can give us our first look into where certain players have landed for the upcoming season.

According to the coaches at Ventura College, point guards Danny Benson and Prince Abidoye have, as promised, returned for the 2008-09 season. First-year head coach Ned Mircetic and staff have also landed former Camarillo High point guard Mike Diacos, a transfer from the University of Nebraska.

Other potential returning players did not materialize in Ventura. Guard Kevin Menner, who led the state's freshmen in scoring last season, was not in Ventura, as expected.

"He tells me he's going to Saddleback for sure," said Ventura assistant coach Jon Wyers.

The Star reported earlier this year that former coach Greg Winslow had encouraged Menner to leave the program, even taking the step of driving Menner down to Mission Viejo on at least one recruiting visit.

Wyers said that forward Angelo Whitehead will not return and, instead, will attend a national JUCO in Colorado. According to the coaches, Ventura High product James Ennis and Oxnard College transfer Ryan McLucas also did not attend VC Monday and will not be be playing for the Pirates.

McLucas, instead, returned to Oxnard College, according to first-year Oxnard College coach Jason Cunningham.

The former Rio Mesa High guard was so instrumental in the Condors success last year, averaging 11.3 points per game and a team-high 66 3-pointers. McLucas had spent much of the summer at Ventura College before changing his mind after Cunningham succeeded Jeff Theiler (at least temporarily) as coach.

"We've got our All-WSC players back," said Cunningham of McLucas and point guard Jonathan Johnson.

Bernard Burrell, a high-scoring forward expected to be a key player before being lost for the season with a back injury, has also been retained. The 6-foot-5 wing scored 26 points against Los Angeles Valley in one of his only three appearances a year ago.