Preview: Antelope Valley at Citrus Men’s Basketball

GLENDORA, Calif. (Interstat) — A stark contrast in trajectories will be on display Saturday when the surging Citrus College Owls host the struggling Antelope Valley College Marauders in a California community college men’s basketball matchup.

The Owls (13-1) enter as one of the state’s hottest teams, boasting a dominant offense that has scored 98 or more points in four of their last five games. Their lone blemish is a double-overtime road loss to Fullerton on Nov. 21. Since then, they have reeled off nine consecutive victories, including a 30-point rout of Los Angeles Valley last Wednesday.

Citrus is powered by sophomore guard Dev Hamilton, a consistent scoring force. Hamilton averaged 24.7 points and 8.7 rebounds over his last three games, including a 33-point outburst in an overtime win at Sequoias on Jan. 2. He is complemented by a deep roster; in the win over LA Valley, JJ Sanchez added 18 points and Leo Ricketts scored 20.

Conversely, the Antelope Valley Marauders (6-7) have battled inconsistency. They snapped a two-game skid with a narrow 68-64 home win over Canyons on Wednesday. Their success hinges heavily on forward Amado Coleman, who leads by example. Coleman posted a massive 18-rebound, 12-point double-double against Canyons and is averaging 15 points and 13 rebounds over his last two contests. Support from Ripine Vagaia and Mister Burnside, who each scored 16 points in the latest win, will be crucial.

The matchup pits Citrus’s high-octane attack, which has eclipsed 100 points five times this season, against an Antelope Valley team seeking to control tempo and leverage Coleman’s interior presence. The Owls won last season’s meeting 85-73.

Saturday’s game tips off at 5 p.m. PST at Citrus College. Following this contest, Citrus will visit Canyons on Jan. 14, while Antelope Valley hosts Bakersfield on the same date. The teams will meet again in Lancaster on Feb. 4.