MARAUDER MEN'S BASKETBALL LOSES HEAVYWEIGHT BATTLE WITH RIVERSIDE

Photo by Bruce Jacobsen

VENTURA - Riverside College took the Marauder men's basketball team's best punch and erased a 10-point second half deficit by defeating AVC, 72-67, Friday evening in the semi-finals of the Ventura Tournament at Ventura College.

"We didn't shoot the ball well today. They turned the ball over 28 times, but we weren't able to capitalize," Marauder head coach John Taylor said. "It was a war. It definitely had that playoff atmosphere in only the second game of the season. I don't like to lose, but I thought we took a big step up. I think we're really tough physically, but we're not mentally tough yet."

AVC (1-1) will face Palomar College for third place of the tournament today at 2pm. The Tigers, which entered the game ranked 11th in the state, will face Orange Coast College for the championship.

The Marauders built a 47-37 lead with just over 13 minutes remaining in the game following a bucket by Gregory Floyd, Jr. Riverside eventually caught AVC with an 11-2 run and passed it following a 3-pointer giving it a 52-49 lead.

The Marauders, which came into the game No. 12 in the state, used a 9-0 run of their own to regain the lead, 58-52 with 5:28 remaining. That lead was short-lived however as the Tigers scored 15 of the next 16 points over a span of four minutes to seal the victory.

D'Mauria Jones led AVC with 25 points, while Julian Payton finished with 15 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals. Riverside held a 24-7 advantage in bench points. The Tigers were 25-of-36 from the free throw line, while the Marauders shot only 11-of-20.