In the first game of the day, #7 Antelope Valley (14-3) delivered a sound thrashing to #11-N Sequoias (12-7), bringing what has become their trademark defense in forcing 28 turnovers and holding COS to 34% shooting in an 80-54 win in the first round of the Cougar Holiday Classic in Valencia.
PF JaVaughn Espritt had 24 pts, one of four Marauders to score in double figures, but the real story in this one was the Sequoias inability to get anything going on offense. PG Roddrick Williams and PF Anthony Allen were the Giants leading scorers with 10 points apiece.
AVC jumped out to a 15-4 lead early on only to see Sequoias rally to tie the game at 19 on a basket by Williams. But then AVC finished the first half on a 19-2 run to take a 17-point halftime lead at 38-21. And the onslaught continued in the second half as the Marauder lead reached 35 points at 63-28 with just over 11 minutes remaining.
Sequoias cut the margin to 17 at 65-48 after a sequence in which two AVC centers, Raphael Harris and Chawn Johnson, both fouled out. But the closest the Giants ever got was 15 points, and that was in the final minutes of the game.
For AVC, in addition to Espritt, top scorers were SF Ade Dagunduro (18 pts, 9 rebs), SG Reggie Arnold (15 pts) and SG Brice Gallow (13 pts, 6 asts, 5 steals). Johnson had just 4 pts in about 20 minutes, but had an impact with 3 blocks and 3 steals.
For Sequoias, Ctr Chepe Lara was one of the few bright spots with 9 pts, 11 rebs and 4 blocks. PG Showron Glover came off the bench to chip in 7 pts and 5 asts.
box score
Wednesday, December 27, 2006 2 pm
@ College of the Canyons, Valencia
Cougar Holiday Classic First Round
Antelope Valley Marauders 80:
11-Ade Dagunduro, SF 5/14 fg, 7/10 ft, 9 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl, 3 pf, 18 pts
12-Jacobe Shannon, PG 0/2 fg, 1 reb, 7 ast, 1 blk, 3 stl, 1 pf, 0 pts
20-JaVaughn Espritt, PF 12/18 fg, 5 reb, 1 stl, 24 pts
22-Raphael Harris, C 1/ 4 fg, 4 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 4 pf, 2 pts
33-Brice Gallow, SG 4/7 fg, 5/6 ft, 2 reb, 6 ast, 5 stl, 13 pts
32-Chawn Johnson, C 2/2 fg, 3 reb, 3 ast, 3 blk, 3 stl, 5 pf, 4 pts
21-Reggie Arnold, G 6/13 fg, 2/3 ft, 5 reb, 1 blk, 1 pf, 15 pts
23-Marcellus Robertson, F 2/3 fg, 0/1 ft, 1 reb, 1 blk, 2 pf, 4 pts
4-Mike Creel, F 0 pts
team rebounds: 7
Totals: 32/63 fg (.508), 14/20 ft (.700), 37 reb, 21 ast, 8 blk, 15 stl, 18 pf, 80 pts
3-pt fg (2): Dagunduro, Arnold
Fouled Out: Harris 5:33 left, Johnson 4:53 left
Turnovers (18): Shannon 5, Dagunduro 3, Harris 3, Johnson 2, Robertson 2, Espritt, Gallow, Arnold
College of the Sequoias Giants 54:
0-DeAnthony Holmes, SG 2/5 fg, 2/2 ft, 3 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 4 pf, 6 pts
5-Rod Williams, PG 3/8 fg, 2/2 ft, 2 ast, 3 stl, 10 pts
11-Jesse Soto, SF 1/5 fg, 2/2 ft, 3 reb, 1 ast, 4 pf, 4 pts
22-Anthony Allen, PF 3/5 fg, 4/4 ft, 1 reb, 1 ast, 2 pf, 10 pts
50-Chepe Lara, C 3/6 fg, 3/5 ft, 11 reb, 1 ast, 4 blk, 4 pf, 9 pts
42-Paul Wolf, F 0/1 fg, 1 reb, 2 blk, 1 pf, 0 pts
2-Reggie Smith, G 3/13 fg, 3 reb, 4 stl, 4 pf, 8 pts
3-Showron Glover, G 3/10 fg, 0/2 ft, 2 reb, 5 ast, 3 stl, 7 pts
25-Saeed Gaston, F 1 blk, 0 pts
team rebounds: 9
Totals: 18/53 fg (.340), 13/17 ft (.765), 33 reb, 12 ast, 7 blk, 11 stl, 19 pf, 54 pts
3-pt fg (5): Williams 2, Smith 2, Glover
Technical Foul: Coach Smith
Turnovers (28): Williams 7, Soto 5, Smith 5, Glover 4, Lara 3, Holmes 2, Allen, Wolf
Halftime Score: Antelope Valley 38, Sequoias 21
Updated Records: Antelope Valley (#7-South, t-#14-Calif) 14-3, Sequoias (t-#11-North) 12-7
