PIMA MEN'S & WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ADVANCE TO ELITE EIGHT AT NJCAA DII NATIONAL TOURNAMENT
MEN'S BASKETBALL — No. 4 Pima 108, No. 13 Davidson-Davie 80
The No. 4 seeded Pima Community College men's basketball team (33-0) opened the NJCAA Division II National Tournament with a dominant 108-80 win over No. 13 Davidson-Davie on Tuesday in Danville, IL, advancing to the Elite Eight.
Pima weathered an early push from the Storm, who used a 15-4 run to take a 25-22 lead. The Aztecs responded immediately as Mason Hunt sparked an 18-0 run, scoring nine straight points during the stretch to give Pima full control at 40-25.
The Aztecs continued to build separation in the first half, taking a 60-39 lead into the break behind efficient scoring runs and balanced production.
Pima never allowed Davidson-Davie back into contention in the second half, pushing its lead to as many as 34 points late as Brock Mendoza helped extend the margin to 105-71.
Hunt led all scorers with 30 points on 11-of-16 shooting, including 5-of-8 from three-point range. Mendoza added 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting along with eight rebounds, four blocks and two steals.
Isaiah Hill contributed 18 points and eight assists while Rowan McKenzie finished with 15 points. Will Feagles added 11 points and Isaac Johnson filled the stat sheet with nine points, six assists, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
Pima shot 54.7% from the field and 44.1% from beyond the arc, while ending Davidson-Davie's six-game winning streak.
The Aztecs advance to face No. 5 Iowa Central College in the Elite Eight on Thursday at 3:00 p.m. (MST).
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL — No. 4 Pima 71, No. 13 Des Moines Area 64
The No. 4 seeded Pima women's basketball team (27-4) used a decisive third quarter to pull away from No. 13 Des Moines Area, securing a 71-64 win in the second round of the NJCAA Division II National Tournament on Tuesday.
After trailing early, Pima closed the first quarter on a 10-4 run to take a 14-13 lead. The Aztecs later built a 27-17 advantage in the second quarter, but the Bears responded to cut the deficit to 32-28 at halftime.
The game shifted in the third quarter as Kiley Sours-Miller opened the half with nine straight points, pushing the Aztecs ahead 41-32. Pima continued to control the tempo, closing the quarter on a 9-3 run to extend the lead to 56-42.
The Aztecs built their largest lead of the game at 15 points early in the fourth quarter and maintained control despite multiple pushes from Des Moines Area.
Sours-Miller led the way with 26 points on 12-of-19 shooting while adding nine rebounds. Melicia Nelson nearly recorded a triple-double with 11 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals.
Reigne Waugh added 10 points, while Lucy Land chipped in eight points off the bench. Lucy Fisher contributed five points and nine rebounds, and Kahlia Gonzales added six rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Pima controlled the glass, out-rebounding Des Moines Area 50-39, including a 13-7 edge on the offensive boards, while snapping the Bears' five-game winning streak.
The Aztecs will face No. 12 Union College (NJ) in the Elite Eight on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. (MST).
