Undermanned Pirates drop 83-82 decision to Lone Star College-Cy Fair

Despite being reduced to a roster of six players due to illness, the Victoria College Pirates ​hung close with the Lone Star College-Cy Fair Falcons before falling 83-82 in a non-conference matchup Wednesday night at VC's Sports Center.

The Pirates (0-18) had a chance to win the game in the final seconds after the Falcons' Cameron Scott missed two free throws with 16.1 seconds remaining. But VC missed three shots in the final three seconds, first on a Tyrese Bellamy (Calhoun) jumper in the lane and then on a pair of attempted tip-ins by Eliud Gonzalez (Laredo United) and Mikael Garza (Lubbock Coronado).

Victoria College had to play the final 5:43 of the game with just four players after Lucas DeLeon (Corpus Christi John Paul II) and Jacob Brown (San Marcos) fouled out. But the four remaining players - Bellamy, Garza, Gonzalez and William King (Victoria Homeschool) - managed to play even with the Falcons the rest of the game.

Garza topped VC with 23 points. DeLeon had 17, Brown added 14 and Bellamy and Gonzalez each finished with 13.

The Pirates return to action Saturday when they travel to Port Arthur for a 4 p.m. Region XIV contest against Lamar State College.