NO 16 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HOSTS NO. 17 CERRITOS IN FIRST ROUND OF STATE PLAYOFFS

THIS WEEK

Wed., Feb 21, No. 18 Antelope Valley College Marauder women's basketball (15-13, 7-3 and second in the Western State East) vs. No. 17 Cerritos Falcons (17-13, 5-3 and tied for second in the South Coast South), first round State Playoffs, Newton Chelette Court, Lancaster, 7 p.m.

Sat., Feb. 24, Winner of Feb. 21 at No. 1 Palomar Comets (27-1, 7-1 and co-champions of the Pacific Coast North), second round of the state playoffs, San Marcos, TBA.

TICKET PRICES

The ticket prices are set by the CCCAA and are as follows:

$12.00 general admission

$8.00 for all identified students, faculty, staff, senior citizens age 60 and over, and children less than 12 years of age.

THE MATCH-UPS

The two teams played last season, in a game AVC won 53-49.

The series is tied 7-7.

THE MARAUDERS

The 2016-17 Marauders could beat highly ranked teams and lose to the bottom dweller, depending on what team showed up.  Better said, actually, it depended on which players showed up.

Leading scorer Deja Smith can be very hot and cold.  But when she's hot, watch out, especially from three.  The third best rebounder in Marauder history, Shantanel Bivens, has scored 30 points in a game, but fought through an ankle problem in the Marauders' loss to Citrus.  Brieanna Perkins is extremely dangerous from three, but has been hobbled by knee problems all year.

Adding to the injury problems, Aniyah Terry who was the No. 2 rebounder went out with a bad knee and Kianna Cross, who has gone four for five twice from three has missed six games, including the last game against Glendale with a nagging injury.

Still, the Marauders can often look to Fiona Ferry and Mystar Golden to have strong games in support.

The Marauders have made the playoffs in 20 of their 35 seasons.  This is second straight season AVC plays in the 16/17 rank game, though last season they were 17^th and traveled to Long Beach.

BRACKET

The game's winner will travel to No. 1 Palomar on Saturday night.  If AVC could get past Cerritos and Palomar, they could face LA Valley, which has beaten AVC twice this season, but the Marauders won once.  The only other team in the bracket AVC has seen is No. 9 Moorpark, who they lost to.

See the bracket here

STREAKS

The Marauders are on a one game winning streak, a two game losing streak at home and a two game winning streak to the Falcons.  They are on a one game losing streak in the playoffs and a one game winning streak at home in the playoffs.

ALL CONFERENCE

Two Marauders were named to First team All-Western State East spots.

Shantanel Bivens was the conference and Marauders' leading rebounder, she is also second in scoring.  She recorded 29 double doubles in her career and stepped into the elite 30 points club against Barstow She is 14th in career points for the Marauders and will end second in career offensive and defensive rebounds yet third in total rebounds.  Bivens was also named First team All-WS South in 2016.  In addition, Deja Smith, who leads the Marauders and is second in conference in scoring was named.  Her 824 career points makes her eighth on the Marauder charts and she is eighth in career threes with 92, sixth in assists with 187 and seventh in steals with 119.

Fiona Ferry was named Honorable Mention.

BARRY GREEN

Barry Green is now 122-103 (.542) in his eighth 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.