Mt. SAC Women Defeat Host Ventura To Capture Ventura-Kiwanis Tournament of Champions Title

Mt. SAC Women's Basketball - VC-Kiwanis Champions
Photo Courtesy of VC-Athletics

(Ventura, CA) For the fourth time in the last five years, the Mt. SAC Women's Basketball Team captured the Ventura College-Kiwanis Tournament of Champions (21st Annual), on Sunday (11/25), with a 46-27 victory over host Ventura.

All four of those championships have come against Ventura College. With the win the Mounties improve to 5-1 overall.

Forward Tianna Burrell (7-13 FGM, 3-8 3 PM, 9 RB) had her best game of the young season with a game-high 18 points. Guard Aujanae Mayes (5 RB, 3 ASST., 5 STL.) added nine, while Natalia Shpegel (3 3PM, 2-3 FTM) and Lauryn Manns (3 3PM, 4 RB, 3 A, BLK.) scored eight and seven points, respectively.

Burrell, who drained six 3-pointers and scored 14 points in the semifinal game of the tourney, was named MVP, along with Shpegel being named to the all-tournament team.

Mt. SAC led by seven after the first quarter (18-11) and held Ventura to five in the second quarter, while the Mounties scored 10 for the 28-16 halftime lead. Shpegel led the Mounties with seven points in the first quarter.

The Mounties struggled in the third quarter with their lowest output of the season with three points, on a basket and a free throw by Burrell.

The Pirates scored eight to close the gap to seven, with a score of 31-24 entering the fourth quarter.

The Mounties began the fourth with an 8-0 run to extend the lead to 15 points (39-24) and never looked back. Burrell highlighted the quarter with two 3-pointers.

Mt. SAC travels to Northern California, and will play in the 42nd Annual Gilcrest Invitational, hosted by the College of the Sequoias, beginning Thursday, November 29th. The Mounties will open the sixteen team tournament against Solano College. 

This will be their third tournament of the season with one remaining, Fullerton (December 27-29).

Mt. SAC lost in the championship game against host Sequoias last year and both teams received this years' No. 1 pre-season ranking for the North and South, respectively.

Follow Mt. SAC Women's Basketball on twitter @MtSAC_WBKB

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For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630.