Cohenj Gonzales scores a game-high 22 points as Men's Basketball beats Mesa CC 99-75 for eighth straight win

The Pima Community College men's basketball team (22-3, 14-3 in ACCAC conference) picked up its eighth straight win on Wednesday after beating Mesa Community College (7-16, 5-12).

• The No. 15 ranked Aztecs opened a double digit lead in the first half and cruised to a 99-75 win over the Thunderbirds.
• The Aztecs called timeout with the game tied at 14-14 with 14:42 left in the half. They responded with a 12-0 run in the next four minutes that was capped by sophomore Dillan Baker's (Salpointe Catholic HS) three-pointer. The Thunderbirds cut Pima's lead to 41-30 after a 7-0 run but the Aztecs closed the half with a 10-4 run of their own to make it 51-34 at halftime.
• The Aztecs used a couple of small runs in the second half to keep hold of their advantage as they went on a 9-2 run in three minutes to take a 78-54 advantage and they outscored the Thunderbirds on an 11-5 run to make it 89-64 in the final minutes.
• Freshman Cohenj Gonzales (Mesquite HS) led the way with a game-high 22 points as he went 7 for 10 from the field and 5 for 7 from three-point range. He also added six assists, five rebounds and two steals.
• Baker added 21 points after he went 8 for 14 shooting and 4 for 8 from beyond the arc. He also posted six rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks.
• Sophomore Jaylen Alexander closed out the game with 19 points, four rebounds and four assists while freshman Wes Ball (Marana HS) posted 15 points on 7 for 9 shooting with five rebounds and three assists.
• Sophomore Zach Williamson had two points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Freshman Gabe Oldham contributed with eight points and eight rebounds off the bench.

The Aztecs will have one more break from game play before the final stretch of the regular season and the Region I Tournament as they host Phoenix College on Wednesday, Feb. 21 at the West Campus Aztec Gymnasium. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.

MESA   34   41   75
PIMA    51   48   99