Antelope Valley Looks to Continue Momentum at Struggling Porterville

PORTERVILLE, Calif. (Interstat) — The Antelope Valley men’s basketball team will aim to climb back to .500 on the season when it visits Porterville in a California junior college non-conference matchup Friday night.

The Marauders (4-5) enter having won two of their last three games, including an 89-76 victory over Victor Valley this past Sunday. Porterville (1-9) snapped a nine-game losing streak with a narrow 70-68 home win over Hartnell on Dec. 6.

Antelope Valley will lean on forward Amado Coleman, who is coming off a dominant performance. In the win over Victor Valley, Coleman logged 26 points and 13 rebounds in 32 minutes. Over his last five games, he is averaging 18.6 points and 11.2 rebounds, recording three double-doubles in that span.

Coleman’s supporting cast has shown flashes. Mister Burnside contributed 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists against Victor Valley, while Trovary Cavil added 10 points and six assists.

The Marauders’ offense has been inconsistent, however, scoring 58 points in a loss to Copper Mountain on Dec. 5 before erupting for 104 against Imperial Valley the next day.

Porterville’s season has been defined by offensive struggles. The Pirates have been held under 60 points in six of their 10 games and are averaging just 59.8 points per contest. Their lone win required a late stop against Hartnell, as they failed to reach 70 points for the ninth time this season.

Defense has also been a challenge; Porterville has allowed 80 or more points four times, including a season-worst 89 to Los Angeles Southwest on Nov. 22.

Despite the starkly different trajectories, Interstat’s game simulator projects a dead-even contest, forecasting a 100-100 final score.

Following this game, Antelope Valley travels to face Rio Hondo on Dec. 19. Porterville has a quick turnaround, hosting Gavilan on Saturday, Dec. 13.

Friday’s tip-off is set for 7 p.m. PST at Porterville College.