NO.7 MARAUDER MEN'S BASKETBALL HEAD TO NO. 3 CHAFFEY FOR RIGHT TO PLAY IN FINAL FOUR

THIS WEEK

Sat., Mar. 5, No. 7 Antelope Valley College Marauder men's basketball (25-6, 9-5 and tied for second in the Western State South) at No. 3 Chaffey College Panthers (24-6, 9-1 and co-champions of Foothill Conference), quarterfinals of State Playoffs, Rancho Cucamonga, 7 p.m.

THE MATCH-UPS

The Marauders move to the quarterfinals following a 96-86 win over No. 18 Citrus – their third of the season over the Owls and their 12^th straight at home, the first time ever AVC was perfect at home - after an 87-83 win over No. 10 San Diego City on the second round.  The Panthers, the No. 3 seed beat No. 6 Fullerton 73-71 in overtime in the third round after dropping No. 14 Mt. San Antonio 96-77 in the second round.

Overall the series is tied at 24, with Chaffey picking up the last win – a 92-71 shellacking in Marauder Gym, which ended a six game Marauder winning steak.

There have two previous playoff contests between these two – both have been AVC wins played in Marauder Gym, with the Marauders scoring over 100 points.  The last was in 1999 in a 110-64win, which is AVC's biggest playoff win and still a Marauder record for field goal percentage hitting 72 percent.  The second was in 1997, when in an 102-101 overtime game in which a Shawn Murray put-back ended a seven-game losing string to George Tarkanian's Panthers and gave AVC its first appearance in State Tournament since 1950s.  At that point, that game was a third round game, when state consisted on eight teams, and not four.

THE MARAUDERS

The Marauders burned bright in the first half of the season, going 18-1 and being the No. 1 team in state before entering conference play, then crashing and struggling once conference play started.  In fact, there was more than one game where a last second put-back or a 10-0 run late was all that allowed the Marauders to even be considered for playoffs.  Now the Marauders are streaking again.

The 2015-16 team, like so many Marauder teams before them, seemed unbeatable just before they were beat. The Marauders were the last California undefeated team, and were poised to make a third straight blitz through the Western State South.  But something went away when they were away, and AVC lost five straight on the road – all in conference play – and they had to work hard to finish tied for second in the WSS.  Still, for the first time in their history the Marauders went undefeated at home - a perfect 12-0.

 Injuries have played big, or better to say small, since the injuries have been to the Marauder's big men, and the players left standing are basically guards.  In fact, AVC has only had a player in double figures in rebounds three times, but five times their top rebounder was held to five or less.

Still they make up for much of their height problems with quickness, and 11-0 and better runs have not been uncommon this season.

It could be anyone leading the Marauders on any given night, but look for All-Conference players Joseph Moorer, who led the Marauders in scoring and three pointers; Chris Martin, who led AVC in steals and assists and Jalen Etienne who was third in scoring and second in steals and assists,  as well as AVC's top three point shooter Cory Dollarhide as the best candidates.

BRACKET

The winner of this game play in the semi-finals which will be played on March 12 at

Las Positas College in Livermore.  The game will be against a northern team (No. 1 seed from the south plays No. 2 from the north and No. 2 south plays No. 1 north) at either 5 p.m. or 7 p.m.  The winner of that game will play in the championship game on March 13 at 3:30 p.m.

Get the full bracket here.

STREAKS

The Marauders have now made playoffs for 26 of the last 27 seasons, and the last nine straight. AVC is on a five game winning streak, and a one game winning streak to the Panthers. They are on a two game winning streak in the playoffs and against the Panthers in the playoffs and a five game losing streak on the road in the playoffs.

ALL-CONFERENCE

Three Marauder Men's Basketball players were named to the All-Western State South team. Joseph Moorer, who led the Marauders in scoring and three pointers; Chris Martin, who led AVC in steals and assists and Jalen Etienne who was third in scoring and second in steals and assists were all named to the team for the second place Marauders.

JOHN TAYLOR

John Taylor is in his sixth season as the Marauder head coach, and is in his sixth playoffs with the team.  This season is the second time he has guided the Marauders into the Elite Eight.  In 2013-14 he guided the men to the best record in southern California and a Western State South title. He was also named WSS Coach of the Year. Taylor was named WSC women's Coach of the Year in 1995-96, and was tabbed as the Foothill Conference women's Coach of the Year in 2002-03 and 2003-04. He has crafted a 523-239 (.685) record overall, and his teams now play in the playoffs for the 21st straight season, and his teams have won 20 games in 14 straight seasons (eight with the women). He now has the distinction of being the second coach to coach both a men's and women's team to the final four. He did it with the Marauder women in 2007, but lost in the semi-finals to Pasadena and then with the men in 2012, losing to Yuba in the semifinals. Tom Gilcrest of Sequoias won state championships with both the Giant's men and women. Taylor is 90-31 (.744) as the Marauders' men's coach In 2012-13, Taylor won his 300th game as a Marauder head coach. He began the 2010-11 season as both men's and women's coach. His women Marauder teams were 241-103 overall and included six Foothill Conference championships - four straight from 2003 to 2006 and this season. AVC finished second in the Foothill Conference in his first two seasons, before 2002-03's undefeated in conference champion team and again this season. He guided AVC to ten straight seasons of 19 wins or more and the playoffs each year. In 2006-07 he became the winningest Marauder women's basketball coach with win 143 and in 2007-08 season coached the Marauders to his 100th Foothill Conference win.