NO 17 MARAUDER WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADS TO NO 16 LONG BEACH FOR FIRST ROUND OF STATE PLAYOFFS

THIS WEEK

Wed., Feb 22, No. 18 Antelope Valley College Marauder women's basketball (15-13, 9-1 and co-champions in the Western State East) at No. 17 Long Beach City Vikings (18-11, 9-1 and co-champions of the South Coast South), first round State Playoffs, Long Beach, 7 p.m.

Sat., Feb. 25, Winner of Feb. 22 at No. 1 Mt. San Antonio Mounties (28-2, 9-1 and co-champions of the South Coast North), second round of the state playoffs, Walnut, TBA.

THE MATCH-UPS

The two teams have not met since the 1999-2000 season when AVC won 57-47.

The Vikings hold a 8-3 lead in the series.

THE MARAUDERS

The 2016-17 had their notorious slow start.  In fact, they were 6-12 heading into the Western State East eying another second place finish especially since the No. 6 LA Valley looked to run the conference.

AVC had other plans, and in their first game at home, beat the Monarchs, putting together a six game win streak – the most for a Barry Green coached team.  LA Valley did win big in the second game, but AVC did what they needed to do in all their other conference games to take the first conference title since 2010.

Look for Makaela Manson and Brieanna Perkins to be dangerous from three, with Katilin Stephenson taking over the middle, with some help from Ashley Shaw.  Deja Smith leads the Marauders in scoring with her quickness, especially to the basket.

The Marauders have made the playoffs in 19 of their 34 seasons, with them returning for the first time since 2014-15.

BRACKET

The game's winner will travel to No. 1 Mt. San Antonio on Saturday night.  If AVC could get past Long Beach and Mt. San Antonio, they could face Mt. San Jacinto, which has beaten AVC twice this season.  The only other team in the bracket AVC has seen is No. 4 Cypress, who they lost to.

STREAKS

The Marauders are on a three game winning streak, and a one game losing streak to the Vikings.  They are on a one game losing streak in the playoffs and a one game losing streak on the road in the playoffs.

ALL CONFERENCE

Marauder Women's Basketball, who surprised everyone with a Western State East co-championship landed three players on the All-Conference, and Barry Green was tabbed with his first-ever Coach of the Year honor.

Those named included Makaela Manson, who was second in scoring and three pointers for the Marauders as well as second in conference three pointers, Katilin Stephenson, who was the Marauders' top rebounder and fourth in conference rebounds and Brieanna Perkins who was fourth in scoring for the Marauders but tops in conference and for AVC in three pointers.

Barry Green, in his seventh season as head coach of the Marauder Women, was named Western State Conference Coach of the Year.  It was the first time he has been so named.

BARRY GREEN

Barry Green is now 106-89 (.544) in his season season as head coach of the Marauders.  In 2016-17, he lead a team that entered conference play 6-12 to a Western State East co-championship, the Marauders' first with him as head coach.  He was also named Western State East Coach of the Year.

He spent 23 years as a Marauder assistant coach, and was in his fourth with the women's basketball squad before being elevated, moving over after the retirement of Newton Chelette as men's coach. Green was the men's assistant coach for 18 years.