The second half of the WSC North basketball campaign begins tonight with doubleheaders in Moorpark, San Luis Obispo and Woodland Hills.

I'll be in San Luis Obispo, where the Ventura College basketball teams put their first-place statuses on the line against host Cuesta. The biggest game of the night is the first-place showdown between the co-leading VC and Cuesta men. You can follow our live updates here on Twitter.

The VC@Cuesta doubleheader is being broadcasted online by HomefieldSports.com.

Women's scores, 5 p.m.
Ventura 47, Cuesta 44 FINAL Destinee LaFountain had a game-high 16 points and Rebecca Griffin and Rian Mew made late free throws as the Pirates held onto a one-possession lead late. Aria Johnson had 13 points on 9 of 10 free throw shooting and Kati Sheldon had 12 points for Cuesta, who were attempting to beat the Pirates for the first time in 18 years.
Moorpark 77, Hancock 53 FINAL Katie Lenik had a game-high 20 points for the Raiders. Charnae Thomas had 18 points and Ashley Samson added 14 points. The Raiders held the state's leading scorer, Camille Zumbro, to 11 points.
Los Angeles Pierce 59, Oxnard 49 FINAL

Men's schedule, 7 p.m.
Ventura 40, Cuesta 39 HALF Zalmico Harmon has 12 points, Austin Ramljak has 11 points and Najee Salaam has 10 points for Ventura at the half. Malte Kramer has eight points to lead Cuesta, which has made six 3s. We've had 10 lead changes and six ties in the first half.
Hancock 37, Moorpark 32 HALF Coltrane Powdrill has 11 points and Sahdi Odu added seven points for Moorpark.
Oxnard at Los Angeles Pierce

The Ventura County Fusion soccer club will host Major League Soccer's Chivas USA in a friendly at 10 this morning at Oxnard College Stadium.

The price of admission is free.

The Fusion roster will be a combination of current Fusion players, former Fusion stars and players who have emerged from recent tryouts.

Having been recently drafted by the Los Angeles-based team, former Fusion players Brian Rowe and Daniel Steres are attempting to make the Chivas roster.

Chivas is the first of five MLS teams the Fusion will host at Oxnard College this preseason. The Colorado Rapids arrive Feb. 4, with a friendly scheduled for the next day.

Ventura College sophomore point guard Rebecca Griffin has verbally committed to play for Cal State Monterey Bay.

"I've been to Monterey with my family and I really like it," said Griffin. "Not only is the basketball program good, but the school is right for me because I want to be a teacher."

As a sophomore, Griffin is averaging 10.3 points and 3.8 assists per game for the No. 1-ranked Pirates (23-1, 6-0). She is shooting 35.8 percent from 3-point land and 77.8 percent from the foul line.

Her four free throws in the 71 seconds Wednesday night lifted the Pirates over rival Moorpark in a showdown of unbeaten co-leaders atop the WSC North.

"We have to move on," said Griffin. "It wasn't our best game, but we closed it out for a win."

Monterey Bay is 12-3 and was ranked No. 22 in last week's USA Today/ESPN national poll.

The Otters are coached by Ventura High and Ventura College alum Renee Jimenez, the current team features four local products, including VC products Erika Ward and Kris King, Buena High graduate Holly Holcomb and Thousand Oaks High product Jenna Bandy.

According to coach Ned Mircetic, there are two ways to look the Ventura College women's basketball team's 52-48 win Wednesday night at rival Moorpark.

Mircetic was pleased that the Pirates improved to 8-0 this season in games that were within a single possession down the stretch.

"I'm elated that, in multiple games this year, we were able to win games that came down to the last minutes," said Mircetic.

But, for the fifth time this year, VC allowed a double-digit lead to turn into a deficit in the second half.

"This pattern has occurred before," said Mircetic. "That's not a good place for us to be. When we get a comfortable lead midway through the second half, we need to close it out.

"I don't know why we do what we do or how we do what we do, but we need to correct that."

The Ventura College men's basketball team prepares for its own first-place showdown Saturday night against fellow WSC North co-leader Cuesta in San Luis Obispo, its focus is on slowing down Malte Kramer.

The 6-foot-7 German put on a long-distance display in the Cougars' 84-79 win at Ventura Jan. 4, scoring 31 points on 7-for-10 shooting from 3.

"You've got to limit his touches," said Ventura coach Joey Ramirez. "You have to guard him. You have to guard him high. You can't have any slip ups in transition... Five of his 7 3s last game were uncontested."

It comes down to the types of details which the Pirates have taken care during their subsequent five-game winning streak.

"Mentally, we should be better," said Ramirez. "Obviously, they've seen the tape a few times. It's not a secret, although I'm not going to tell you what we're going to do."

Wednesday night's 82-80 win at Moorpark was a big day for the Ventura freshman backcourt of Joseph Soto and Zalmico Harmon.

Soto, a Rio Mesa High product, scored a career-high 31 points within the concept of the offense.

"Joe wasn't at the top pounding the ball," said Ramirez. "He got everything out of what we were trying to do... Then you saw Joe was the first person that ran up to Z when he hit the shot."

Soto happily played decoy as Harmon hit the game-winning buzzer-beater in the lane.

"I knew it was going up," said Soto.

Harmon had been encouraging Soto to attack offensively for much of the game.

"I had to keep telling him," said Harmon, "keep doing what you're doing."

As the season progresses, opposing coaches are finding it difficult to defend the Pirate's four potent scorers.

Austin Ramljak scored 29 against Hancock Saturday. Forward Najee Salaam, who scored 27 at Oxnard Jan. 14, has twice hit the 30-point mark this season. Harmon, who has spent conference play setting up his teammates, put 27 up on top-ranked Citrus Dec. 3.

The first rotation of the WSC North basketball campaign ends tonight with doubleheaders in Moorpark, Woodland Hills and San Luis Obispo.

I'll be at Raider Pavilion, where the Ventura and Moorpark College women will have a showdown of undefeated WSC North co-leaders. You can follow our live updates here on Twitter.

The VC@MC doubleheader is being broadcasted online by HomefieldSports.com. The OC@Cuesta doubleheader is being broadcasted and telecasted online.

Women's scores, 5 p.m.
Ventura 52, Moorpark 48 FINAL Rebecca Griffin and Rian Mew had 11 points and Stephanie Ramirez added 10 points as Pirates grabbed sole possession of first place. Katie Lenik had a game-high 12 points and Charnae Thomas added 11 points for Moorpark, which was 71 seconds from breaking VC's 45-game, 21-year winning streak in the rivalry. Destinee LaFountain had nine points and 12 rebounds, despite foul trouble.
Cuesta 71, Oxnard 59 FINAL
Santa Barbara 78, Los Angeles Pierce 76 FINAL

Men's schedule, 7 p.m.
Ventura 82, Moorpark 80 FINAL Zalmico Harmon's 7-foot buzzer-beater separated the teams. Joseph Soto scored a game-high 31 points for first-place Ventura, which will play co-leaders Cuesta Saturday in San Luis Obispo.
Cuesta 65, Oxnard 50 FINAL
Los Angeles Pierce 81, Santa Barbara 68 FINAL SBCC fell to 0-6 in the WSC North despite 17 points and seven rebounds from Eric Becker.

The Ventura College men's basketball team, which is on a season-best four-game winning streak to tie for first place in the WSC North, broke back into the state poll this week at No. 20.

The Pirates (12-10) also rose one spot to No. 10 in the Southern California regional coaches poll.

The bottom half of the regional poll also includes No. 13 Cuesta and No. 14 Hancock.

Click the link for the full polls.

Two days before WSC North co-leaders Ventura and Moorpark meet for the first time this season at Raider Pavilion, the cross-county rivals took up two of the Top 12 spots in the Southern California coaches' poll.

Ventura (22-1) stayed No. 1 for the ninth straight week. Moorpark (13-7) moved up three spots to No. 12.

Ventura is also No. 1 in the state poll. Although it's no longer unanimous because two North voters switched to Mt. SAC this week, despite the Mounties two losses coming at the Pirates' hands.

Click the link for the full polls.

Round 5 scores, Wednesday
Moorpark 66, Santa Barbara City 56
Hancock 56, Oxnard 47
Cuesta 98, Los Angeles Pierce 97 (OT)

Round 6 scores, Saturday
Oxnard 73, Moorpark 65
Ventura 77, Hancock 70
Cuesta 73, Santa Barbara City 66

Standings OVR DIV
Team name W-L Pct. W-L Pct.
Ventura 12-10 .545 4-1 .800
Cuesta 16-7 .696 4-1 .800
Hancock 17-6 .739 4-2 .667
Oxnard 10-9 .526 3-2 .600
Moorpark 7-13 .350 3-2 .600
Santa Barbara 3-17 .150 0-5 .000
L.A. Pierce 2-14 .125 0-5 .000

Round 7 schedule, Wednesday
Ventura at Moorpark
Oxnard at Cuesta
Santa Barbara at Los Angeles Pierce
END OF FIRST ROUND

Round 8 schedule, Saturday
Ventura at Cuesta
Hancock at Moorpark
Oxnard at Los Angeles Pierce

Round 5 scores, Wednesday
Moorpark 69, Santa Barbara City 58
Oxnard 67, Hancock 64
Cuesta 81, Los Angeles Pierce 61

Round 6 scores, Saturday
Moorpark 61, Oxnard 35
Ventura 89, Hancock 46
Cuesta 65, Santa Barbara City 60

Standings OVR DIV
Team name W-L Pct. W-L Pct.
Ventura 22-1 .957 5-0 1.000
Moorpark 13-7 .650 5-0 1.000
Cuesta 11-9 .550 3-2 .600
Santa Barbara 8-12 .400 2-3 .400
L.A. Pierce 8-13 .4381 1-4 .200
Oxnard 6-10 .333 1-4 .200
Hancock 5-15 .250 1-5 .167

Round 7 schedule, Wednesday
Ventura at Moorpark
Oxnard at Cuesta
Santa Barbara at Los Angeles Pierce
END OF FIRST ROUND

Round 8 schedule, Saturday
Ventura at Cuesta
Hancock at Moorpark
Oxnard at Los Angeles Pierce

The sixth round of the WSC North basketball campaign takes place tonight with doubleheaders in Oxnard, Ventura and Santa Barbara.

I'll be in Oxnard, where the Moorpark College baskeball teams will make their final visit to Condor Center. You can follow our live updates here on Twitter.

The AHC@VC doubleheader is being broadcasted online by HomefieldSports.com

Women's scores, 5 p.m.
Moorpark 61, Oxnard 35 FINAL Ashley Samson had 19 points, Charnae Thomas had 12 points and Kathleen Avery added 10 points as the Raiders improved to 5-0 in WSC North play. Ashanti Sweezer led the Condors with 11 points.
Ventura 89, Hancock 46 FINAL Destinee LaFountain had 15 points and 10 rebounds and Carlotta Kloppenburg had 14 points, four 3s and 4 steals as the Pirates improved to 5-0 in WSC North play to set up a first-place showdown Wednesday at Raider Pavilion. Makayla Morrison added seven points and two steals. Camille Zumbro, the state's leading scorer, had 24 points, but was limited to just five in the first half.
Cuesta 65, Santa Barbara City 60

Men's schedule, 7 p.m.
Oxnard 73, Moorpark 65 FINAL Gary Johnson had a game-high 23 points for the Condors, who didn't allow a field goal for the final 7:30. Coltrane Powdrill scored 20 points and Jamal McClerkin added 17 points for the Raiders.
Ventura 77, Hancock 70 FINAL Austin Ramljak had a game-high 29 points, Zalmico Harmon had 19 points and Najee Salaam added 11 points as the Pirates took over first place in the WSC North. Ventura scored the first 17 points of the game. Ramljak had 21 points at the half.
Cuesta at Santa Barbara City

If this is to be the final season in more than three decades of Oxnard College women's basketball, the Condors made sure to make a lasting, positive memory Wednesday night in Santa Maria.

Down by 54-31 at the half and by as many as 27 points, Oxnard climbed all the way back to beat host Hancock, 67-64.

The epic comeback snapped a six-game, on-court losing streak. It was also OC's first win since being notified last week that the school would not field a team in the future.

"It takes a little of the pressure off of losing the program, to a certain extent," said Oxnard coach Phil Sherman after practice Thursday. "It's good for them.

"It's something they can remember forever."

Oxnard (6-9, 1-3) trailed by 14 with 6:33 to play and 5 in the final minute, when Andrea Edwards and Maritza Contreras hit back-to-back 3s to give the Condors a 65-64 lead.with 16 seconds to play.

"The morale is pretty good right now," said Sherman. "I asked them, 'Do you understand what you just did?' They caught the significance... 27-point comebacks don't happen every day."

Freshman forward Ashanti Sweezer had 21 points and 16 rebounds and freshman point guard Adrianna Vega, a Pacifica High product, scored 17 points and put the clamps on Hancock star Camille Zumbro.

Zumbro, who leads the state by scoring 26.8 points per game, was held just 14 points, the lowest total in WSC North play in her two seasons. She did not have a field goal in the second half.

"We cut off Zumbro," said Sherman. "That's rare."

Oxnard scrapped its zone defense at halftime and, playing man to man, held the Bulldogs to just 10 points in the second half.

"I've seen games when teams catch fire and they come back," said Sherman. "This was methodical... I had about 20 people come up to me after the game and say they had never seen anything like that before."

The WSC North men's standings were altered this week by news that the Los Angeles Pierce men's team had fielded an ineligible player in wins over Oxnard Jan. 4 and Hancock Jan. 11.

The forfeits lifted Hancock (17-5, 4-1) into first place by a half game over Ventura, Moorpark and Cuesta, who are all 3-1, and kept reeling Oxnard (9-9, 2-2) within touching distance.

WSC commissioner Jerry White has been busy.

Citrus, which lost the SCFA Western Conference football title because of three forfeits due to an ineligible player, also forfeited 13 women's basketball games this month because of an ineligible player, throwing the WSC South race into chaos. The Owls No. 2-ranked men's basketball team also had its head coach Chris Victor and assistant coach Patrick Johnson suspended for two and eight games, respectively, because of recruiting violations this month.

Moorpark sophomore Jamal McClerkin and Ventura sophomore Austin Ramljak shared WSC North men's Player of the Week honors as the Raiders and Pirates combined to go 4-0 last week. McClerkin had 18 points in a win over Pierce and Ramljak, an Oak Park High product, was 10 for 20 from 3-point range in wins over Santa Barbara and Oxnard.

Moorpark sophomore Ashley Samson earned women's Player of the Week honors by scoring 38 points combined in wins over Cuesta and Pierce.

The fifth round of the WSC North basketball campaign takes place tonight with doubleheaders in Santa Barbara, Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo.

It's a big night for the Raiders, as the Moorpark College men's and women's basketball teams can pull into first-place ties with rival Ventura with victories in Santa Barbara.
You can follow our live updates here on Twitter.

The MC@SBCC doubleheader is being broadcasted online by HomefieldSports.com

Men's schedule, 7 p.m.
Moorpark 66, Santa Barbara City 56 FINAL
Coltrane Powdrill had 18 points, including 11 points in the second half, and Jamal McClerkin had 18 points, including 10 points in the first half, as the Raiders pulled even with rival Ventura atop the WSC North. Minas Yanku added 10 points. Greg Parker had six assists. Sahdi Odu had 12 rebounds.
Hancock 56, Oxnard 47 FINAL
Cuesta 98, Los Angeles Pierce 97 FINAL (OT)

Women's scores, 5 p.m.
Moorpark 69, Santa Barbara City 58 FINAL Ashley Samson scored 21 points and Charnae Thomas, Katie Lenik and Camilla Chun had 11 points apiece as the No. 15 Raiders pulled into a first-place tie with Ventura at 4-0. Lenik also had 12 rebounds and Kathleen Avery had three assists and three steals.
Oxnard 67, Hancock 64 FINAL Dre Vega had 21 points and
Ashanti Sweezer had 21 points and 16 rebounds as the Condors dug out of a 27-point halftime hole to win their first WSC North game. "Never experienced anything quite like this," said Oxnard coach Phil Sherman. Hancock made 11 of their first 14 3s, but shot just 2 of 26 in the second half. Vega also held Camile Zumbro, the state's leading scorer, to two points in the second half.
Cuesta 81, Los Angeles Pierce 61 FINAL

The Ventura College men's basketball team is back into the Southern California regional coaches' poll this week at No. 11, after taking sole possession of first place in the WSC North with a 83-63 win over Oxnard Saturday.

The WSC North populates the bottom half of the regional poll as Hancock is No. 13 and Cuesta sits No. 14.

The Moorpark College women's basketball has started WSC North play 3-0. Monday, the Raiders rejoined the Southern California regional coaches' poll at No. 15.

Meanwhile, the Ventura College women's basketball team (21-1, 4-0) remained the unanimous No. 1 in both the SoCal and state coaches' polls.

The cross-county rivals are headed for a showdown Jan. 25 at Raider Pavilion.

Round 3 scores, Wednesday
Moorpark 75, Cuesta 66
Ventura 96, Santa Barbara City 84
Los Angeles Pierce 80, Hancock 77 (OT)

Round 4 scores, Saturday
Ventura 83, Oxnard 63
Moorpark 62, Los Angeles Pierce 59
Hancock 70, Santa Barbara City 60

Standings OVR DIV
Team name W-L Pct. W-L Pct.
Ventura 11-10 .524 3-1 .750
Cuesta 14-7 .667 2-1 .667
Moorpark 6-12 .333 2-1 .667
Hancock 15-6 .714 2-2 .500
L.A. Pierce 5-10 .333 2-2 .500
Oxnard 8-9 .471 1-2 .333
Santa Barbara 3-15 .167 0-3 .000

Round 5 schedule, Wednesday
Moorpark at Santa Barbara City
Oxnard at Hancock
Los Angeles Pierce at Cuesta

Round 6 schedule, Saturday
Moorpark at Oxnard
Hancock at Ventura
Cuesta at Santa Barbara City

Round 3 scores, Wednesday
Moorpark 67, Cuesta 56
Ventura 68, Santa Barbara City 44
Hancock 80, Los Angeles Pierce 77

Round 4 scores, Saturday
Ventura 60, Oxnard 32
Moorpark 72, Los Angeles Pierce 54
Santa Barbara City 71, Hancock 51

Standings OVR DIV
Team name W-L Pct. W-L Pct.
Ventura 21-1 .955 4-0 1.000
Moorpark 11-7 .611 3-0 1.000
Santa Barbara 8-10 .444 2-1 .667
Cuesta 9-9 .500 1-2 .333
L.A. Pierce 8-12 .400 1-3 .250
Hancock 5-13 .278 1-3 .250
Oxnard 5-9 .357 0-3 .000

Round 5 schedule, Wednesday
Moorpark at Santa Barbara City
Oxnard at Hancock
Los Angeles Pierce at Cuesta

Round 6 schedule, Saturday
Moorpark at Oxnard
Hancock at Ventura
Cuesta at Santa Barbara City

The four round of the WSC North basketball campaign takes place tonight with doubleheaders in Oxnard, Moorpark and Santa Maria.

I'll be at the big occasion in Oxnard, where the rival Pirates and Condors meet for the final time at the Condor Center.

You can follow our live updates here on Twitter.

The VC@OC doubleheader is being broadcasted online by HomefieldSports.com

Men's schedule, 7 p.m.
Ventura 83, Oxnard 63 FINAL Najee Salaam had 27 points and 11 rebounds, Zalmico Harmon had 10 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds, and Joseph Soto and Austin Ramljak added 18 points each for Ventura. Stephon Thompson had 15 points and 11 rebounds, Gary Johnson had 15 points and seven rebounds and Jahmahl Slater added 11 points for Oxnard.
Moorpark 62, Los Angeles Pierce 59 FINAL
Jamal McClerkin had 18 points, Sahdi Odu had 15 points and Minas Yanku added points for the Raiders.
Hancock 70, Santa Barbara City 60 FINAL

Women's scores, 5 p.m.
Ventura 60, Oxnard 32 FINAL Carlotta Kloppenburg had 18 points points and five 3s, all in the first half, and Hanna Burge had eight points.
Ashanti Sweezer had a team-high 10 points for Oxnard.
Moorpark 72, Los Angeles Pierce 54 FINAL Ashley Samson had 20 points, Charnae Thomas had 14 points, Katie Lenik had 14 points and Kathleen Avery had 11 points for the Raiders.
Santa Barbara City 71, Hancock 51 FINAL

After a two-year separation, county rivals Ventura College and Moorpark College are conference rivals yet again.

Over the next two seasons, the SCFA Northern Conference will consist of the Ventura College and Moorpark College football teams, two-time defending conference champion Cerritos, former WSC foes Bakersfield, Canyons and Hancock, and historic foe Pasadena City College.

The Northern Conference will be one of three seven-team conferences in the top-tier National Division.

This is what the full alignment looks like:

National Division
Northern Conference: Ventura, Moorpark, Hancock, Bakersfield, Canyons, Pasadena, Cerritos.
Central Conference: Desert, Riverside, Mt. SAC, Citrus, Long Beach, El Camino, LA Harbor.
Southern Conference: Grossmont, Palomar, Saddleback, Santa Ana, Fullerton, Orange Coast, Golden West.

American Division
Mountain Conference: San Bernardino Valley, Mt. San Jacinto, East Los Angeles, Victor Valley, San Diego Mesa, Compton, Southwestern, Chaffey
Pacific Conference: West Los Angeles, Los Angeles Valley, Los Angeles Pierce, Santa Monica, Los Angeles Southwest, Santa Barbara City, Glendale, Antelope Valley

The third round of the WSC North basketball campaign takes place tonight with doubleheaders in Moorpark, Ventura and Santa Maria.

I'll be in Moorpark to see whether Moorpark or Cuesta will emerge to chase the first-place Ventura women and whether the Moorpark men can keep first-place Cuesta from improving to 3-0.

You can follow our live updates here on Twitter.

The SBCC@VC doubleheader is being broadcasted online by HomefieldSports.com

Men's schedule, 7 p.m.
Moorpark 75, Cuesta 66 FINAL Coltrane Powdrill had 23 points and nine rebounds, Sahdi Odu had 16 points and Greg Parker had 10 points and five assists as the Moorpark College men's basketball team halted a 1-8 skid by knocking off first-place Cuesta. Malte Kramer, playing with a fever and foul trouble, was held to nine points on 5-of-6 shooting from the foul line before fouling out with seven minutes to play.
Ventura 96, Santa Barbara City 84 FINAL Austin Ramljak and Zalmico Harmon had 23 points apiece as the Pirates moved into a first-place tie with Cuesta and Pierce.
Los Angeles Pierce 80, Hancock 77 FINAL (OT)

Women's scores, 5 p.m.
Moorpark 67, Cuesta 56 FINAL Ashley Samson had 18 points, Kathleen Avery had 14 points and Charnae Thomas added 11 points for the Raiders. Alyssa Palma had a game-high 21 points for Cuesta.
Ventura 68, Santa Barbara City 44 FINAL Rian Mew had 19 points, making 13 of her 17 attempts from the field and foul line, and, despite not starting, star center Destinee LaFountain added 17 points and nine rebounds in just 21 minutes off the bench for the Pirates. Hanna Burge had 13 points, Regan Mew had six rebounds and Blayke Hudson had five rebounds.
Hancock 80, Los Angeles Pierce 77 FINAL (OT) The Bulldogs prevailed with a buzzer-beating 3.

Ventura College sophomore Rebecca Griffin was named WSC North Player of the Week for her performance in the women's basketball teams' wins over Cuesta and Los Angeles Pierce last week.

From the WSC news release:

"Rebecca scored 22 points in two games with 6 rebounds, 11 assists and 3 steals. Rebecca was 7 of 14 from the field (4 of 7 from three) and 4 of 4 from the line. Rebecca scored 13 points versus Cuesta with 4 rebounds and 6 assists. Rebecca is a 5-2 sophomore guard from Santa Barbara High School."

Griffin is averaging 10.8 points and 3.9 assists, shooting 40 percent from 3-point land and 75.5 percent from the free throw line.

The Cuesta College men's basketball team hasn't just taken control of the WSC North, it's also given the WSC North a Top 20 men's basketball team this week

The Cougars (14-6), who debuted in the state coaches' poll at No. 18, opened 2-0 in WSC North play by knocking off defending champion Hancock and Ventura, which had the division's best record last year.

Despite being separated by nine points Saturday in San Luis Obispo, No. 10 Cuesta and No. 11 Hancock sit next to each other in the Southern California coaches' poll.

The Top 9 teams in the state poll, from No. 1 Diablo Valley to No. 9 Santa Rosa, went unbeaten last week.

Click the jump for the full poll.

The Ventura College women's basketball team remained the unanimous No. 1-ranked team in both the Southern California and state coaches' polls.

The Pirates are 19-2 and 2-0 in WSC North play following wins last week over Cuesta (73-34) and Los Angeles Pierce (67-54).

The Top 3 teams in the SoCal poll (VC, Mt. SAC and San Bernardino Valley) and the Top 4 teams in the state poll (VC, Mt. SAC, Foothill and San Bernardino Valley) remained unchanged this week.

The big riser was Cerritos (15-4), which jumped from No. 8 to No. 4 in the SoCal poll and from No. 12 to No. 4 in the state poll following wins over two ranked teams, Long Beach and East Los Angeles. The Falcons are also the only team to beat top-ranked VC, having knocked off the Pirates 76-62 Nov. 4 in the final of the Sequoias tournament.

Click the link for the full polls.

Round 2 scores, Saturday
Oxnard 90, Santa Barbara City 89 (OT)
Ventura 73, Los Angeles Pierce 65
Cuesta 82, Hancock 73

Standings OVR DIV
Team name W-L Pct. W-L Pct.
Cuesta 14-6 .700 2-0 1.00
Hancock 14-5 .737 1-1 .500
Oxnard 8-8 .500 1-1 .500
Ventura 9-10 .450 1-1 .500
L.A. Pierce 4-9 .308 1-1 .500
Moorpark 4-12 .333 0-1 .000
Santa Barbara 3-13 .190 0-1 .000

Round 3 schedule, Wednesday
Santa Barbara City at Ventura
Cuesta at Moorpark
Hancock at Los Angeles Pierce

Round 4 schedule, Saturday
Los Angeles Pierce at Moorpark
Ventura at Oxnard
Santa Barbara City at Hancock

Round 1 scores, Wednesday
Ventura 67, Los Angeles Pierce 52
Santa Barbara City 66, Oxnard 42
Cuesta 86, Hancock 78

Standings OVR DIV
Team name W-L Pct. W-L Pct.
Ventura 19-1 0.950 2-0 1.00
Moorpark 9-7 0.563 1-0 1.00
Santa Barbara 6-10 .375 1-0 .500
Cuesta 9-8 .529 1-1 .500
L.A. Pierce 8-10 0.400 1-1 .500
Oxnard 4-8 .333 0-2 .000
Hancock 4-12 .250 0-2 .000

Round 3 schedule, Wednesday
Santa Barbara City at Ventura
Cuesta at Moorpark
Hancock at Los Angeles Pierce

Round 4 schedule, Saturday
Los Angeles Pierce at Moorpark
Ventura at Oxnard
Santa Barbara City at Hancock

The WSC North basketball campaign continues tonight with doubleheaders in Santa Barbara, Woodland Hills and San Luis Obispo.

I'll be in Santa Barbara to see if the Oxnard College men's basketball team can bounce back from Wednesday's dramatic loss to Pierce. Meanwhile, there's big game in the men's race at Cuesta, where Hancock visits.

You can follow our live updates here on Twitter.

The VC@Pierce doubleheader is being broadcasted online by HomefieldSports.com

Women's scores, 5 p.m.
Ventura 67, Los Angeles Pierce 54 FINAL Stephanie Ramirez had 12 points on three 3s. Destinee LaFountain had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Rian Mew 10 points. Rebecca Griffin had nine points and five assists.
Santa Barbara City 66, Oxnard 42 FINAL Oxnard fell to 0-2 in WSC North play, despite a game-high 14 points from Adrianna Vega. Leslie Steele had team-high 12 points on four 3-pointers as Santa Barbara (6-10, 1-0) snapped its seven-game losing streak.
Cuesta 86, Hancock 78 FINAL

Men's schedule, 7 p.m.
Ventura 73, Los Angeles Pierce 65 FINAL Najee Salaam and Joe Soto had 17 apiece, Corey Hall had 16 points and Austin Ramljak had 10.
Oxnard 90, Santa Barbara City 89 (OT) FINAL Stephan Thompson had 27 points and 12 rebounds. Gary Johnson had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Donnie McGowan added 15 points and nine rebounds.
Cuesta 82, Hancock 73 FINAL

The Moorpark College women's basketball team has finally put its December to forget in the rearview mirror.

After a 7-1 start, the Raiders dropped six of seven games from Dec. 10 to Dec. 29, its only win coming in overtime against Consumnes River Dec. 27.

But Moorpark (9-7), unveiling a few lineup and strategic tweaks, started Western State Conference play strong Wednesday night in Santa Maria, scoring 14 of the first 16 points and swinging a 20-3 knockout punch in the second half of a 76-52 win at Santa Maria.

"I was really happy with the way that we started the game and the second half," said Moorpark coach Lindsay Goldblatt. "With our pressure, our defense and our game plan, it just set the tone.

"We had a tough last month, but, with every game, comes a little bit more experience. I think with all the competition that we've played, we've improved."

Goldblatt started 5-foot-6 freshman Camilla Chun at point guard and moved 5-foot-9 Kathleen Avery into the starting lineup.

"We get a little bit bigger," said Goldblatt. "We wanted to apply a little bit more pressure and that seemed to work well."

Chun, a Thousand Oaks High product, defended the state's leading scorer, Camille Zumbro, and finished with five blocks and four steals.

"Camille plays really well with her hangs," said Goldblatt. "She was able to jam her and give her a hard time. (Zumbro) is still going to get hers... but she got a lot of her points in the paint and in transition."

Avery, a Westlake High product, added 15 points and four rebounds

"Kathleen did a really good job," said Goldblatt.

Chelsea Smith, formerly the starting point guard, adjusted to her new role, bringing energy off the bench.

"We needed to find a way to make some changes and be better in a few key areas," said Goldblatt. "What matters now is conference play and we talked about having a clean slate. We can be whatever we want to be."

Despite a dynasty built on defense, the No. 1-ranked Ventura College women's basketball team has emphasized NBA-style offensive principles over the past five years.

But VC (18-1, 1-0) looks to have returned to their defensive roots this year. Especially Wednesday, when the Pirates held Cuesta to 3-for-26 shooting in the first half of a 73-34 win.

Ventura is No. 4 in the state in scoring defense, allowing just 49.7 points per game.

It doesn't happen very often, but the county took a beating Wednesday night, when the three men's basketball teams were swept to begin WSC North play.

Hancock (14-4, 1-0), Cuesta (13-6, 1-0) and Los Angeles Pierce (4-8, 1-0) broke out on top of the WSC North standings with wins.

Moorpark (4-12, 0-1) was actually within one possession down the stretch at Hancock, before the Bulldogs survived, 78-70. Hancock was only WSC North team in the Southern California regional coaches' poll this week at No. 12.

Meanwhile, both Ventura and Oxnard squandered halftime leads in key home games.

Ventura led 42-36 prior to a halftime buzzer-beater from Cuesta's Malte Kramer. Oxnard led Los Angees Pierce at the intermission, 33-25, and missed a potential game-winning buzzer beater.

Moorpark coach Remy McCarthy's words proved prophetic earlier in the week.

"Pierce has really good talent," said McCarthy on Tuesday. "They're capable of beating anybody even thought their record might not show it."

For the first time in school history, the Ventura College women's soccer team has had two players named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's All-American team.

Sophomore midfielder Megan Erskine, named to the 11-player first team, became the fifth woman in school history to be honored as a first-team All-American. Freshman Daisy Cardona, named to the 11-player second team, is the program's 11th All-America selection in 16 seasons.

"They both are totally deserving," said Ventura coach Steve Hoffman. "It's very exciting."

Erskine, a Buena High product, finished second in the state with 14 assists, including three in a win at rival Moorpark, and scored five goals.

Cardona, also a Buena High product, had 20 goals and 14 assists. She was fifth in the state in points and sixth in goalscoring.

"That's pretty impressive, to have two kids in those groups," said Hoffman. "Usually, you risk splitting the vote. The only other time I've ever put two people up, we didn't get one."
With a 3.39 team GPA, Ventura was also earned the NSCAA's Team Academic Award, alongside the likes of Stanford, Yale and Harvard.

Ventura College freshman Victor Caro and Jordan Howard were both selected to the All-California Region IV offense when the California Community College Football Coaches' Association released its All-American teams this week.

Caro, a freshman from Nashville, Tenn., finished third in Southern California in yards per carry, averaging 6.7 yards per carry for the 7-4 Pirates. He ran for 675 yards and three touchdowns on just 101 carries.

Howard, a freshman from Pensacola, Fla., was fifth in kickoff returning (29.6 yards per return) and sixth in punt returning (11.7 ypr). He also played full-time at cornerback and is expected to play some receiver as a sophomore.

"Our region is the toughest in the whole state of California to make," said Ventura coach Steve Mooshagian. "In our region, we've got the Top 12 teams in Southern California. That's usually the top players. To have two players, two freshman, on this team is really outstanding."

Round 1 scores, Wednesday
Cuesta 84, Ventura 79 RADIO
Los Angeles Pierce 61, Oxnard 60
Hancock 78, Moorpark 70

Standings OVR DIV
Team name W-L Pct. W-L Pct.
Hancock 14-4 0.778 1-0 1.00
Cuesta 13-6 0.684 1-0 1.00
L.A. Pierce 4-8 0.33 1-0 1.00
Oxnard 7-8 0.467 0-1 .000
Ventura 8-10 .444 0-1 .000
Moorpark 4-12 .333 0-1 .000

Round 2 schedule, Saturday
Ventura at Los Angeles Pierce
Oxnard at Santa Barbara City
Hancock at Cuesta

Round 3 schedule, Wednesday
Santa Barbara City at Ventura
Cuesta at Moorpark
Hancock at Los Angeles Pierce

Round 1 scores, Wednesday
Ventura 73, Cuesta 34 RADIO
Los Angeles Pierce 64, Oxnard 50
Moorpark 76, Hancock 52 

Standings OVR DIV
Team name W-L Pct. W-L Pct.
Ventura 18-1 0.947 1-0 1.00
Moorpark 9-7 0.563 1-0 1.00
L.A. Pierce 8-9 0.471 1-0 1.00
Santa Barbara 5-10 .333 0-0 .000
Cuesta 8-8 .500 0-1 .000
Oxnard 4-7 .364 0-1 .000
Hancock 4-11 .267 0-1 .000

Round 2 schedule, Saturday
Ventura at Los Angeles Pierce
Oxnard at Santa Barbara City
Hancock at Cuesta

Round 3 schedule, Wednesday
Santa Barbara City at Ventura
Cuesta at Moorpark
Hancock at Los Angeles Pierce

The WSC North basketball campaign opens on the Central Coast with doubleheaders in Ventura, Oxnard and Hancock. It should be interesting, thanks to a potential four- to five-team race on the men's side and the No. 1-ranked team in the state on the women's side. You can follow our live updates here on Twitter. The Cuesta@VC doubleheader is being broadcasted online by HomefieldSports.com

Men's schedule, 7 p.m.
Cuesta 84, Ventura 79 FINAL
Los Angeles Pierce 61, Oxnard 60 FINAL
Hancock 78, Moorpark 70 FINAL

Women's scores, 5 p.m.
Ventura 73, Cuesta 34 FINAL Rebecca Griffin had 13 points and six assists, Destinee LaFountain had nine points, nine rebounds and three blocks and Candace Sakuda had eight points
Los Angeles Pierce 64, Oxnard 50 FINAL
Moorpark 76, Hancock 52 FINAL Ashley Samson had 18 points on 4 of 6 3-point shooting, Charnae Thomas had 15 points and 10 rebounds, Kathleen Avery had 14 points and Camilla Chun added eight points, five blocks and four steals.

According to the CCCMBCA, the favorite in the WSC North men's basketball race is Hancock, which is the division's only ranked team entering conference play.

Click the jump for the full polls.

The Ventura College women's basketball team opened 2012 just as it closed the 2011 calendar year, as the unanimous No. 1-ranked team in both Southern California and the state.

The Pirates (17-1) received all 15 first-place votes in both polls.

Both the state Top 5 of Ventura, Mt. SAC, Foothill, San Bernardino Valley and City College of San Francisco and the SoCal Top 5 of Ventura, Mt. SAC, San Bernardino Valley, Saddleback and East L.A. remain unchanged from the previous polls.

Click the jump for the full polls.