MARAUDERS STATE RUNNERS-UP

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Fresno City 90, AVC 77 -- Final

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MARAUDERS FORCED TO SETTLE FOR SECOND
There were no big comebacks.   No last-minute heroics.
In the end it was the Rams, who led the entire game, who was able to handle the Marauders in their push to win their first state title, and it was the Rams who won their fourth.
The Rams went up 46-39 at halftime, but everyone was remembering the night before when Fresno gave up an 18 point half-time lead to win by only a point as well as the Marauders run at the end of the quarterfinals against Ohlone to win after being down by 11 at the half.
And the Marauders closed to within three with five minutes left.   Each time, however, the Rams responded with scores on their end.  
As the Marauders began to feel the time leaving their winning effort, the Ram defense forced either missed shots underneath or free throws.   AVC shot only 58 percent from the line in the second half after a 11 for 12 performance in the first half.   AVC would not score in the last five minutes of the game.
Jacobe Shannon hit two big threes as the Marauders began to make their run to get them to within three, and ended with a game high 18 points.  
Marcellus Robertson, who was named to the All-Championship Tournament Team, scored 15 points and pulled down 12 rebounds - giving him 40 in the three games of the tournament. Ade Dagunduro was also named All-Championship Tournament scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
For the Marauders, it was a record breaking season, with 31 wins and four tournament titles to their credit.
AVC has now been runner-up in the state championship game twice.

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Jacobe Shannon
©2006 Dave Mills

AVC 57, Ventura 55 -- Final

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THIS TIME IT'S FOR A RING
Marcellus Robertson not only dominated the boards with 19 rebounds, but was credited with the blocked Anthony Pimple's last second lay-up attempt to send the Marauders into the state championship game for the first time since 1956.
Robertson scored seven points and had four steals in the game.   The Marauders were led in scoring by Ade Dagunduro, who scored all 16 points in the second half of the game.   Robert Arnold had 14, and film showed he was the actual blocker of Pimble's shot.
The Pirates led 29-27 in the hard fought game that featured 10 lead changes and five times.
AVC got up by as many as eight with seven minutes left, and while AVC never gave up the lead after that, the Pirates got to within one with 2:30 left, 51-50.
For the Marauders it is school record 31 wins, and the first chance to win a state title since 1956, when they lost to LA Harbor.
The Marauder face Fresno City College at 1 p.m. at Selland Arena in Fresno.

Marcellus Robertson
©2006 Dave Mills

AVC 71, Ohlone 69 -- Final

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MIRACLE MARAUDERS HEAD TO SEMIS
Ade Dagunduro scored 24 points, pulled down 12 rebounds dished off six assists to lead AVC to a huge come-from-behind win over Ohlone to advance to the final four.
The Marauders were down 11 - 41-30 at half-time, but only because of two steals and JaVaughn Espritt lay-ins with less than a minute to go.
Before that it was Renegade three point shooting, as they started nine for 10 from behind the arc in the first 15 minutes of the game.
After that, Ohlone was just one for 13 for three over the next 20 minutes.   But with 4:09 left, after two straight threes by Allen Hester, the Renegades were still up by nine 69-60.
It was the last time Ohlone would score, as the Marauder defense began tighten on an obviously tiring Renegade offense.   The Marauders would shoot 59 percent in the second half, while holding the Renegades to 32 percent.
That left it for Dagunduro to pick up four of his six assists, as the Renegades converged on the Marauders' leading scorer and left Marcellus Robertson open underneath.
Robertson was seven for eight from the field, and scored six points in the last three minutes, including the game winner with 36 seconds left.
Ohlone had four chances to try to win the game, but missed all four threes somewhat badly, before Dagunduro knocked the ball all the way across court so that the Renegades could not drive and get a shot off in the last second left.
For the Marauders, it ties the school record for wins with 30 in this season with the 1996-97 Marauder squad that lost in the quarterfinals of the state tournament.
It is the second time the Marauders have made the final four in the last four years, and only the third time in history.

Ade Dagunduro
©2007 Matt Brown

GETTING READY
The Marauders held their shoot-around and first look at Selland Arena at 8 a.m. in getting ready for their 1 p.m. tipoff against Ohlone.