Men claim Region I, DI, top seed with 89-64 win over Chandler-Gilbert
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mesa Community College (19-7, 16-4) | 47 | 42 | 89 |
|
Chandler-Gilbert Community College (12-16, 6-14) | 27 | 37 | 64 |
Mesa Community College
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
| Game Statistics | Mesa Community College | Chandler-Gilbert Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (33-66) | (24-50) |
| Field Goal % | 50.0% | 48.0% |
| Rebounds | 38 | 22 |
| Assists | 19 | 15 |
| Turnovers | 5 | 16 |
CHANDLER, AZ - For the second year in a row the Mesa men have claimed the Region, I, Division I regional top seed following an 89-64 win over Chandler-Gilbert Wednesday evening.
The T-Birds will thus have home floor advantage all the way through the playoffs up to the NJCAA Division I National Championship, which will be held, as usual, in Hutchinson, Kan. After the regional tournament, the Region I champion will meet the Region 18 title winner at the Arizona school location, which would be Mesa if the T-Birds prevail.
Mesa will begin regional play on Saturday, March 28, against the No. 4 seed in Theo Heap Gym in a game scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
MCC, which had to win only one of its final three regular season games to claim the top spot, wasted no time in making sure this would be the one.
After a Mitch Burnett (Fr., Phoenix, AZ/Central H.S.) jumper put the Thunderbirds ahead, 6-4, Mesa quickly shot to a 27-14 lead and was never again threatened.
By halftime the T-Birds led, 47-27, and eventually raised the margin to as many as 36 before the Coyotes began hitting three-pointers to narrow the gap a little.
Sam Hainline (Fr., Laramie, Wyo/Laramie H.S.) scored a season-high 17 points to share the MCC scoring lead with Khari Holloway (So., Jackson, Miss/Mountain Pointe (AZ) H.S.).
Burnett finished with 12 points and Jordan Pratt (Fr., Mesa, AZ/Red Mountain H.S.) added ten.
The T-Birds host Eastern Arizona Saturday in a 4:00 p.m. contest.