The Coyote Men's Basketball Team (3-0) returned to action Friday night against a formidable opponent in Antelope Valley College Marauders (0-1). AVC is known in Southern California as a perennial basketball powerhouse, and came into Raymund McCue Gym firing away Friday night, opening up with a 9-0 lead by way of 3 straight three-pointers. The Marauders were slowed down when Coach Dugan promptly called an early timeout to regain his team's composure. From that minute on, the Coyotes began chipping away at the deficit to eventually tie the game at 13 all. The first half continued in a back and forth fashion as the two teams traded blows to enter halftime all tied up at 42-42.
The Coyotes came out gunning in the second half, but it was their relentless defense that put the game in check. With a tightened up defensive approach, Coso was able to establish their presence and allow the offense to settle in. As the chess match continued to play out, the Coyotes capitalized on turnovers and defensive stops to separate from the Marauders and eventually put the contest out of reach late in the second half. Cerro Coso walked away with an 81-62 win, and the two teams are set to match up in game two of their series Saturday, 3/6/21 at AVC gym. Tip-off is set for 3:00 pm.