AVC: CLOSE ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH LATEST LOSS HAS THE MARAUDERS IN TOUGH SPOT.

Byline: Art Avila Staff Writer

The loss the Antelope Valley College men's basketball team suffered Monday night was tough to take. Barstow College beat the Marauders 75-71 in a game that was close in the end and that AVC could have won. More important, it gave AVC its second loss in the Foothill Conference.

The Marauders (13-9, 3-2) travel to San Bernardino Valley tonight trying to avoid another close conference loss.

``Two losses are not going to win conference. We can't lose again,'' forward Tony Mayes said. ``Our backs are up against the wall. Now we have to come out with a vengeance.''

With Barstow leading at halftime 32-31, the Marauders came out strongly in the second half, building an eight-point lead. But Barstow stayed in the game, keeping it close at the end and coming up with the win when AVC couldn't capitalize on free throws and late 3-pointers.

``We came out and built a lead and instead of building on it, they came back in,'' guard Nick O'Neill said. ``It's a real big loss, especially at home. In league, it's real tough.''

The Marauders have played close games recently, including Saturday's double-overtime win against College of the Desert 93-89.

``We had a good battle with COD,'' sophomore forward Jeronne Saxton said. ``If we go out and execute and play our game, we'll win. We are too talented. We shoot too good.''

Forward Michael Callaway, who leads the team in points per game, had 20 points and 11 rebounds against Barstow. Freshman Jimmy White had 13 points and 11 rebounds.

But it was the little things that hurt the Marauders. ``We didn't execute some plays, didn't hit free throws. You can't win if you play like that,'' Saxton said. ``We beat ourselves.''

Now the Marauders sit in the middle of the conference standings and face unbeaten San Bernardino Valley tonight.

--Official loss? The Marauders played a tough game with Barstow on Monday but had maybe an even tougher battle with the officials. Late in the second half, with the game still close, the officials looked like they missed some obvious foul calls on both teams.

``I don't think the officials beat us,'' coach Newton Chelette said. ``I am never willing to excuse my team from poor play, but I think certain no-calls down the stretch frustrated the players.''

The missed calls frustrated the vocal crowd in the Marauder gym as well.

``If you can't inbounds a pass because your guard is being held, that just has to be called. That's too much of an advantage,'' Chelette said.

He said his team didn't play solid defensively and didn't do the little things to win the game.

``We managed to beat ourselves and certain no-calls (by the officials) allowed the game to escape us,'' Chelette said.

--Women's update: The women's basketball team takes a 3-1 Foothill Conference record into tonight's game against Victor Valley.

The Marauders (9-10, 3-1) defeated Barstow on Saturday 65-49. Ebony Sullivan had 21 points.

AVC is trying to put together its first three-game winning streak of the year against a team that started the conference undefeated.

The team travels to Chaffey College on Saturday before playing the second part of a doubleheader at home Monday with the men's basketball team. The men face Cerro Cosa at 5 p.m. in the Marauders gym, with the women's game afterward.

--Injury update: Point guard Matt Cox suffered a bruised knee in the loss to Barstow and is questionable for tonight's game. He said he felt sore Tuesday afternoon.

The 6-foot freshman was hurt late in the game but was able to walk off the court.

Freshman Brady Chelette is out with a stress fracture in his right leg and will be reevaluated Feb. 1. He has missed the last two games and was averaging 6.5 points a game before he was injured.

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Photo: (color) Forward Tony Mayes says Antelope Valley College, 3-2 in the Foothill Conference, can't afford another conference loss.

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer