Burrell Warms to Task at Oxnard

OXNARD — Cries of “shooter” rang throughout the Oxnard College gym every time John Burrell handled the ball Friday for Antelope Valley College.

Trouble was, Burrell, Antelope Valley’s high-scoring sophomore guard, mostly was shooting blanks--at, least throughout a frigid first half.

The focus of a Hancock defense determined to stop the Marauders’ best player, Burrell scored only two points and made one of five shots before intermission.

Burrell rebounded in the second half and finished with 20 points, two under his average, and Antelope Valley recorded a 93-85 victory over Hancock in the opening round of the Oxnard tournament.

Burrell, 6 feet 3 and 185 pounds, who has signed with Nevada and is ranked among the top 25 junior college players in the nation by one publication, missed on four three-point shots in the first half and drew a crowd soon after the ball arrived in his hands.

Antelope Valley (5-1), clinging to a 35-32 lead at halftime, made 13 of 36 shots in the first half.

Burrell made two three-pointers in the second half--including a swish from the top of the key to highlight a 13-4 run in the opening minutes of the second half.

“I felt cold in the first half,” Burrell said. “I always do that when I come to a strange gym. But I have patience. I have a good team behind me, so I wasn’t worried.

“So many games, in the first half, I’ll get five points or something. The other teams know so much about me, they’re prepared.”

Stopping Burrell indeed was the Bulldogs’ plan, Hancock Coach Bob White said.

But a difficult one to execute.

“I thought we did a good job on him in the first half, but in the second half he hurt us,” White said.

Burrell made eight of 16 shots in the game, including two of nine from three-point range.

Ziaire Williams scored 22 points and Le’Tre Kelly added 18 points and 10 rebounds for Antelope Valley, which has won four consecutive games.

“I think more than anything it was the atmosphere,” Antelope Valley Coach Newton Chellete said of Burrell’s slow start. “When the other teams try to stop him, it opens it up for the other guys. Our guys did a good job taking what they gave us.”

Soon after making a two free throws to give Antelope Valley a 70-55 lead with eight minutes to play, Burrell fouled out and the Bulldogs staged a rally.

Hancock (0-4), which held an 11-10 lead but trailed thereafter, pulled to within 89-85 with 40 seconds to play on a jump shot by Mark Copeland, who scored 24 points.

Guard Trevor Beal, who scored 10 points, and Williams each made two free throws in the final 28 seconds to preserve the victory.

In another first-round tournament game:

Harbor 82, Oxnard 80--Val Blue’s three-point attempt at the buzzer caromed off the rim to send the Condors (0-5) to a first-round defeat.

Audrecce Dixon and Mike Lewis each scored 17 points for Oxnard. Dixon and Rod Stevenson each had nine rebounds.

The Condors play Sequoias in a consolation game today at 3 p.m.