GLENDALE COLLEGE TOURNAMENT : Madison Finds Avenue to Win for Marauders

Tony Madison is a shooter. Pure and simple.

And when a shooter hits the skids, as Madison did throughout most of Antelope Valley’s game against Valley on Friday, Marauder Coach Newton Chelette isn’t much for motivational mind games.

“It’s not a situation where you can tell a shooter, ‘Shoot this one and don’t shoot that one,’ ” Chelette said. “I don’t like to fool with shooters’ heads too much. I just tell them, ‘Hey, shoot it.’ ”

After starting the game zero for six from three-point range, Madison sank two three-point field goals in the final 63 seconds to give Antelope Valley an 86-80 victory in the consolation semifinals of the Glendale tournament.

Antelope Valley (11-3), ranked 15th in the state by the JC Athletic Bureau, will meet College of the Canyons (6-6), a 111-101 winner Friday over East Los Angeles, in the consolation championship today at 3 p.m.

Glendale (8-5) defeated Harbor (11-5), 79-60, Friday night to advance to the tournament championship tonight at 8. The Vaqueros will meet Cypress (9-2), an 87-65 winner over Compton.

Valley was leading Antelope Valley, 80-76, when Madison connected on his first three-point basket with 1:03 left to pull the Marauders within a point.

Valley forward Shawn DeLaittre had a chance to extend the lead when he went to the free-throw line with a minute to go, but he missed the front end of a one-and-one and Antelope Valley had the ball once again.

The Marauders (11-3) worked the ball around and found Madison, who bombed in another three-point shot to put Antelope Valley ahead, 82-80.

“Early in the game, I was shooting but pulling back really fast because they were running out at me,” said Madison, a freshman guard from Dorsey High who averages 11.8 points off the bench for Antelope Valley. “I had to make that adjustment and I knew they would eventually fall.”

Valley (6-5), playing without forward Steve Ward who had strep throat, was ahead, 44-31, at halftime behind the play of sophomore guard Andre Harrell, who scored 17 of his game-high 24 points in the first half.

Antelope Valley overcame the deficit behind freshman point guard Dedan Thomas, who scored 14 of his team-high 18 points in the second half.

“We just ran out of gas,” said Valley Coach Jim Stephens, whose team lost to ninth-ranked Cypress on Thursday. “We had a tough game last night and another one tonight.”

In other tournament games:

Glendale 79, Harbor 60--The Vaqueros played solid defense to forge a 31-24 halftime lead and had no problems in the second half. Sophomores Bruce Heicke and Gary Fowler each scored 23 points for the Vaqueros.

Canyons 111, East L.A. 101--Guard Larry Allbritton scored 37 points as Canyons advanced to the consolation championship.