Hancock Men Hosts Ventura Wednesday in Final Home Game of Season

The men's basketball team will look to stay in the postseason hunt with two Western State Conference games. Hancock will host Ventura at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 10 in its final home game of the regular season. The Bulldogs will then travel to L.A. Pierce on Saturday, Feb. 13 at 5 p.m. Hancock is 4-5 in conference and 12-14 overall.

Last week, Hancock traveled to Oxnard and left with a 100-72 win. Sophomore guard Matt Willkomm (Arroyo Grande HS) led the Bulldogs with a career-high 38 points. Willkomm made 13 of his 17 shots, including six of eight from three-point range. Malik Rhodes finished with 18 points, while Shane Carney had 13 points, a career-high 11 assists, three steals and six rebounds. Marcellus Garrick added 13 points, while Tim Ford recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Last Saturday, Willkomm led the Bulldogs with 18 points and Rhodes added 15, but Hancock lost a heartbreaker 65-64 at home to Moorpark. Hancock led by 10 points with about four minutes to play, but were outscored 11-0 the rest of the way, including two Moorpark free throws with 1.1 seconds remaining.

Overall, Rhodes remains the team's leading scorer at 16.8 points per game. Willkomm ranks second at 15.6 points per game to go with 43 percent shooting from three-point range.

Ventura will come to Hancock in the thick of the conference title hunt. The Pirates are 6-3 in conference, one game behind Cuesta and Moorpark who are tied for first at 7-2. Ventura is 16-9 overall. Hancock fell 100-86 in Ventura last month. Elijah Brown led the Pirates with 29 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Steven Bush had 21 points. Rhodes led the Bulldogs with 28 points in the loss. Willkomm added 16 points and four assists, while Shane Carney had 14 points and five rebounds.  Brown ranks sixth in the state at 23.1 points per game. 

Hancock lost 73-56 at home to LA Pierce last month. Kaelan Hicks led the Brahmas with 27 points and seven rebounds. Montel Shirley added 18 points, eight boards and four assists. Willkomm led the Bulldogs with 20 points, while Rhodes added 15 points and five boards.