BASKETBALL: AVC suffers first loss of year, at home
Nov. 24, 2013
ALONSO TACANGA/Valley Press
LANCASTER - Coming into its home opener ranked second overall in the state at a perfect 6-0 and against a team they had beaten three times in a row last season, the Antelope Valley College men's basketball team took its court on Saturday afternoon to roaring cheers from a home crowd which was ready for a show.
The Marauders were feeling confident. They were feelin' like rock stars.
And then they bombed.
"I didn't recognize our team," AVC coach John Taylor said after his team got negative reviews in its first Lancaster show of 2013-14, 92-71 to Chaffey College.
The Marauders (6-1) not only lost their unblemished record, but also a lot of their swag as the Panthers (6-1) came into AVC's gym and emphatically put an end to the Marauders' win streak by shooting 64 percent from the field in the second half and turning a close game into a stunning blowout.
Over-confidence might have been just what did AVC in on this night.
"We let our record get to our heads a little bit," AVC guard Lucciano Gamiz said. "I feel like when we came out, we came out with too much confidence. Especially at home and we fed from the energy from the crowd, so as soon as we walk in, we think we are the (stuff), you know? Basically."
After a close first half which AVC won 39-38, the Marauders couldn't stop the Panthers the rest of the way. Chaffey made 18 of 28 shots, going up 69-59 with 6:25 left in the game and keeping the double-digit lead to the end.
"I just thought we didn't play hard," Taylor said.
Chaffey forward Adam Jacko scored 10 of his 17 points in a second half in which he finished layup after layup even as the Marauders kept fouling him in the shooting act.
His teammate, Devyn Sampson, led all scorers with 20 points. He hit 5 of 7 three-point attempts, including three in a five-minute stretch that gave the Panthers a 62-55 lead with 8:30 to go in the game.
Two of AVC's top three scorers coming into the game were held scoreless at halftime (Gamiz and Ismail Ali). Gamiz's first basket of the game didn't come until the 13:05 mark of the second half, a 3-pointer that rattled around the hoop before finally falling in. Ali's first field goal came six minutes later.
Gamiz finished with six points on 2-for-9 shooting and Ali was 2-of-6 for seven points. The other top scorer, Daviyon Draper, was 1-of-3 for three points.
"Defensively, we didn't do a very good job tonight," Taylor said. "That's been our staple these past six games. Our defense helps us going on offense."
AVC's last gasp of the game came after Gamiz drilled a 3-pointer with 2:34 to go to cut Chaffey's lead to 82-69 and Taylor called a timeout. Someone on the bench yelled that the game wasn't over, but when the Marauders came back on the court, they played 34 seconds of great defense only to give up an and-1 to Roderick Evans-Taylor as the shot clock expired, sealing their fate.
"(Chaffey) had nothing to lose," Gamiz said. "We had all the pressure on us and today we didn't live up to the pressure. It's a humbling loss that will make us even better."
The Panthers won the 2012-13 Foothill Conference title, the league AVC belonged to last year, and made it all the way to the state championship game, but one thing they couldn't do was deal the Marauders a single loss during their magical run. Chaffey lost to AVC three times last season, and some of its players took extra pleasure in the win against the No. 2 team in the state.
"It feels great for me." Jacko said. "I still have that memory from last year. That memory is real ugly. We lost to them three times and just to come back at their home court and beat them, it feels great."
Still, all confidence wasn't lost for the Marauders, who are off until Dec. 6. Gamiz knows what this team is capable off and expects it to get back to the level which led them to a perfect 6-0 start.
"We are the best team," he said. "I have no doubt."
AVC, now in the Western State South Conference, won't face Chaffey again this year, unless it meets it in the playoffs.
"I would love to see them again," Jacko said. "If we do see them again, I just hope it's a better game."
The Marauders can say, with confidence, it probably would be.
ALONSO TACANGA/Valley Press
LANCASTER - Coming into its home opener ranked second overall in the state at a perfect 6-0 and against a team they had beaten three times in a row last season, the Antelope Valley College men's basketball team took its court on Saturday afternoon to roaring cheers from a home crowd which was ready for a show.
The Marauders were feeling confident. They were feelin' like rock stars.
And then they bombed.
"I didn't recognize our team," AVC coach John Taylor said after his team got negative reviews in its first Lancaster show of 2013-14, 92-71 to Chaffey College.
The Marauders (6-1) not only lost their unblemished record, but also a lot of their swag as the Panthers (6-1) came into AVC's gym and emphatically put an end to the Marauders' win streak by shooting 64 percent from the field in the second half and turning a close game into a stunning blowout.
Over-confidence might have been just what did AVC in on this night.
"We let our record get to our heads a little bit," AVC guard Lucciano Gamiz said. "I feel like when we came out, we came out with too much confidence. Especially at home and we fed from the energy from the crowd, so as soon as we walk in, we think we are the (stuff), you know? Basically."
After a close first half which AVC won 39-38, the Marauders couldn't stop the Panthers the rest of the way. Chaffey made 18 of 28 shots, going up 69-59 with 6:25 left in the game and keeping the double-digit lead to the end.
"I just thought we didn't play hard," Taylor said.
Chaffey forward Adam Jacko scored 10 of his 17 points in a second half in which he finished layup after layup even as the Marauders kept fouling him in the shooting act.
His teammate, Devyn Sampson, led all scorers with 20 points. He hit 5 of 7 three-point attempts, including three in a five-minute stretch that gave the Panthers a 62-55 lead with 8:30 to go in the game.
Two of AVC's top three scorers coming into the game were held scoreless at halftime (Gamiz and Ismail Ali). Gamiz's first basket of the game didn't come until the 13:05 mark of the second half, a 3-pointer that rattled around the hoop before finally falling in. Ali's first field goal came six minutes later.
Gamiz finished with six points on 2-for-9 shooting and Ali was 2-of-6 for seven points. The other top scorer, Daviyon Draper, was 1-of-3 for three points.
"Defensively, we didn't do a very good job tonight," Taylor said. "That's been our staple these past six games. Our defense helps us going on offense."
AVC's last gasp of the game came after Gamiz drilled a 3-pointer with 2:34 to go to cut Chaffey's lead to 82-69 and Taylor called a timeout. Someone on the bench yelled that the game wasn't over, but when the Marauders came back on the court, they played 34 seconds of great defense only to give up an and-1 to Roderick Evans-Taylor as the shot clock expired, sealing their fate.
"(Chaffey) had nothing to lose," Gamiz said. "We had all the pressure on us and today we didn't live up to the pressure. It's a humbling loss that will make us even better."
The Panthers won the 2012-13 Foothill Conference title, the league AVC belonged to last year, and made it all the way to the state championship game, but one thing they couldn't do was deal the Marauders a single loss during their magical run. Chaffey lost to AVC three times last season, and some of its players took extra pleasure in the win against the No. 2 team in the state.
"It feels great for me." Jacko said. "I still have that memory from last year. That memory is real ugly. We lost to them three times and just to come back at their home court and beat them, it feels great."
Still, all confidence wasn't lost for the Marauders, who are off until Dec. 6. Gamiz knows what this team is capable off and expects it to get back to the level which led them to a perfect 6-0 start.
"We are the best team," he said. "I have no doubt."
AVC, now in the Western State South Conference, won't face Chaffey again this year, unless it meets it in the playoffs.
"I would love to see them again," Jacko said. "If we do see them again, I just hope it's a better game."
The Marauders can say, with confidence, it probably would be.