Ventura Takes It on the Chin From Buena Again, 44-29

For the second time this season, Buena High gave Ventura the hook.

This time, freshman Kelly Greathouse had 14 points and 11 rebounds, and the Bulldogs forced 28 turnovers in a 44-29 Channel League girls’ basketball victory Tuesday night at Ventura.

Greathouse sank a hook shot from the top of the key with 5:58 left in the game to give Buena, ranked No. 2 in the region by the Times, a 36-20 lead and effectively end the game.

“My friend taught me that when I was in the seventh grade and I stuck with it ever since,” said Greathouse, who opened the scoring for Buena (10-1, 2-0 in league play) with a shorter hook. “It’s really hard to defend, even if you’re 6-foot-5.”

Ventura (6-4, 1-1), which lost to the Bulldogs, 37-32, in the Buena tournament championship game Dec. 13, had difficulty with the Bulldogs’ full-court press.

“I don’t think they forced the turnovers as much as we gave them [up],” Ventura Coach Glenn Gray II said. “Give them credit, but you’re not going to win any varsity-level games against good teams scoring 29 points.”

Renae Hofmann scored 13 points and had six steals for Buena.

Kelly Murray, who has been hit on the mouth in three games in the past three weeks and missed Saturday’s game, had four steals for Buena.