HS HOOPS: West Ranch completes comeback with OT win over Camarillo

An uninspired loss or a great comeback, take your pick.

West Ranch High came from 19 points down Tuesday to defeat visiting Camarillo 72-66 in overtime in a nonleague showdown between two of the area's most competitive programs.

West Ranch was nursing a 1-point lead with seven seconds remaining in overtime when Justin Ballenger put the Scorpions away for a good with a 23-foot 3-pointer in front of his own bench to boost the lead to 70-66.

"I just needed to step up for my team and make a big shot," Ballenger said. "It was definitely a good pass from my teammate, David Harris, that set me up."

Ballenger, a 6-1 guard, added two free throws a few seconds later to finish with 21 points, including four 3-pointers. With 20 seconds left in regulation, he missed a free throw that could have prevented overtime.

"After I missed that free throw, I knew I had to step up in overtime," Ballenger said.

West Ranch improved to 12-3, but never have the Wildcats come back from such a large deficit.

Josh Caton added 12 points, and Ako Kaluna chipped in 11 before limping off the court early in the third quarter with an injury.

Camarillo fell to 10-6 under first-year coach Alan Sadowsky, who was visibly upset.

The Scorpions could do no wrong in the early going, hitting eight three pointers over the first nine minutes to open a 28-9 lead.

"There was no way they were going to keep shooting that well all night," Ballenger said.

Everyone in the building knew that.

"We came out really strong but we couldn't stay that hot," Camarillo's Jake Maulhardt. "In the first quarter, we were making everything and they were missing everything. But that's a good team over there."