MARAUDER MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM UPSETS BAKERSFIELD COLLEGE

Photo by David Nurse

LANCASTER - It was a game the Marauder men's basketball team desperately needed and it produced.

AVC kept its playoff chances alive with a second half come-from-behind victory 70-68 against Bakersfield College, which is ranked No. 12 in the state, and in the process kept its playoff hopes alive.

The Marauders Brandon Wade connected on a 3-pointer with 2:21 remaining in the game propelling the Marauders to a 63-62 lead. Jalen Etienne extended the Maraduers lead to 65-62 after he knifed through the Renegades defense with a left-handed layup.

"This was a big momentum win against a great team," AVC's Nevell Lenard said. "They beat us pretty bad and we came in with a chip on our shoulder. I thought our coaches did a great job preparing us tonight."

The Marauders led 68-66 before Bakersfield's Jameik Riviere scored a bucket with 6.8 seconds remaining in the game. The Renegades were slow to get back on defense and Gregory Wesley got behind the defense and caught a pass from Jalen Etienne in the air for the score with 1.8 seconds remaining.

With the victory, AVC moved into a third tie with Santa Monica and Citrus with a 7-5 conference record. Glendale College is 8-4 all alone in second place trailing Bakersfield by two games.

The Renegades built a 10-point lead in the first half and led 35-29 at halftime. Bakersfield maintained a comfortable lead 58-51 with only 5:26 remaining in the game. The Marauders responded with a 14-4 run later in the game to take the lead.