Hancock Women Drop WSC Opener 60-38 at No. 10 Ventura`

Taylor Lee-Hammer scored 15 points, but the Allan Hancock College women's basketball team dropped its Western State Conference opener 60-38 at defending conference champion Ventura Saturday. The Bulldogs dropped to 0-1 in league and 8-9 overall. Ventura, ranked No. 10 in the state, improved to 15-6 overall. Ventura, which has won the last 27 WSC championships, won its 55th straight conference game.

Lee-Hammer scored seven points, and Grace Rosa added six points for the Bulldogs in the first quarter as Hancock trailed 18-13 after the first 10 minutes of the game. Ventura outscored Hancock 17-6 in the second quarter to carry a 35-19 lead into intermission.

Overall, Hancock shot 31 percent in the game by hitting 16 of its 52 shots from the field. The Bulldogs went 6-for-18 from 3-point range and did not attempt a single free throw.

Lee-Hammer went 6-for-16 from the field, including a 3-for-8 mark from 3-point range. The sophomore added four rebounds and four assists. Rosa finished with 10 points and eight rebounds, four came on the offensive end. The sophomore hit 5 of her 12 shots.

Karly Beyers added seven points and three rebounds for Hancock. Vanessa Ortiz and Hannah Walls each hit one 3-point bucket to finish with three points.

Jasmyne Martin led the Pirates with 23 points and three blocked shots. She went 10-for-14 from the floor and sank all three of her shots from 3-point range. Davina Del Castillo added 11 points and eight rebounds.

Ventura shot 42 percent from the field and hit 5-of-20 from beyond-the-arc.

Hancock committed 20 turnovers to eight for the Pirates. Ventura held a 17-0 advantage in points off turnovers.

Hancock returns to action Wednesday, January 17, when the Bulldogs host Moorpark, the No. 20 team in California, at 5 p.m.