JUNIOR COLLEGE BASKETBALL VENTURA TOURNAMENT : Antelope Valley Defeats Moorpark

Antelope Valley College rebounded from a season-opening loss to Edwards Air Force Base with a convincing 87-77 victory over Moorpark in the opening game of the Ventura tournament at Ventura College on Thursday.

D. J. Jackson and Chris Walters combined for 65 points to lead Antelope Valley (1-1), which lost to Edwards Air Force Base, 107-104, Tuesday.

The Marauders will play L.A. Harbor in the championship semifinals of the eight-team tournament tonight at 6.

Moorpark (1-2) will play Oxnard in a consolation semifinal today at 2 p.m.

Jackson, a 6-foot-8 freshman forward from Northview High in Dothan, Ala., had 35 points and 13 rebounds against Moorpark. Walters, a 6-2 sophomore transfer from Texas El Paso, added 30 points and six assists.

“We needed this win to get our confidence back,” Antelope Valley Coach Newton Chelette said. “Any time you can beat a good Western State Conference team like Moorpark, it’s a feather in your hat.”

The win snapped a two-game Marauder losing streak to Moorpark, which beat Antelope Valley a year ago to the day in a nonconference game, 106-94, and in the first round of the 1990 Southern California regional, 85-76.

Moorpark (1-2), which trailed, 71-60, with seven minutes left, narrowed the deficit to 78-74 on a pair of Eric Clark free throws with 2:09 remaining, but the Raiders could get no closer.

Jackson hit a shot inside and, after Steve Carnes missed a three-point attempt, Walters scored on a breakaway dunk to give the Marauders an eight-point lead with 1:16 to play. Damian Wilson scored a game-high 37 points for Moorpark and Jimmy Galbert added 25.

In other first-round games:

Harbor 93, Oxnard 85 (OT)--Bassirou Miang tipped in a missed shot by Jerry Allen with four seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime, and the Seahawks (3-0) never trailed in the extra period, taking a commanding 89-81 lead on a three-point shot by Miang with 1:09 left.

Shawn Talley scored 31 points for Oxnard (1-2) and Mirek Williams added 21.

Ventura 90, Hancock 69--Ventura (3-0) used a 23-0 first-half run to take a 41-25 halftime lead. The Pirates will face L.A. City, a 79-64 winner over Santa Barbara City, in a semifinal at 8 tonight.

Stephane Brown and Reggie Phillips each scored 18 points for Ventura. Michael Tate added 16.