Ventura nipped Dos Pueblos 62-58 on Thursday, edging DP in the Channel League opener for the Chargers at Sovine Gym.
The victory pushes the Cougars to a 2-0 start in league play while the Chargers fall to 0-1.
The Chargers fell behind by as many as eight in the second half before staging a fourth-quarter comeback. DP had a chance to tie with less than 30 seconds to play but a missed free throw gave possession back to the Cougars.
Chiara DiMarco led Dos Pueblos with 18 points, supported by Jessica Escalante’s 15 and Kristin Gowdy’s 14. Talitha Draper posted totals of nine points, 10 rebounds.
“It was just a tough game. Both team played hard,” said Dos Pueblos head coach Jelani Hicks.
The Chargers’ next league game is a much-anticipated clash with Santa Barbara. The Dons are off to a 2-0 start in league but the Chargers (14-4) won the first meeting between the two teams in a tournament game in December.
