T-Birds Take Down Rival Cochise College, 78-66
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cochise College (9-3, 4-2) | 32 | 34 | 66 |
|
Mesa Community College (6-4, 3-3) | 43 | 35 | 78 |
Cochise College
| Game Statistics | Cochise College | Mesa Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (25-61) | (24-65) |
| Field Goal % | 41.0% | 36.9% |
| Rebounds | 37 | 33 |
| Assists | 11 | 16 |
| Turnovers | 22 | 14 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 12 | 17 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 4 | 6 |
| Pts in the Paint | 28 | 22 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 2 | 10 |
| Bench Pts | 20 | 15 |
Mesa, AZ - The Mesa Thunderbirds men's basketball team takes down the Cochise Apaches, 78-66, in what will go down as the biggest win of the first half of the season for the T-Birds.
Cochise, who is Receiving Votes in this week's NJCAA DI polls, boasted a 9-2 overall record coming into tonights game. However, not once tonight did the Apaches take a lead as Mesa took a wire-to-wire victory over its division rival.
Mesa held a hot hand throughout the night, connecting on 36.9 percent (24-65) while knocking down 10 three-pointers. The T-Birds also made clutch free-throws, especially down the stretch, making 20-26 (76.9%).
Leading the way for the T-Birds was point guard Elijah Moore, who finished with 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists. It was Moore's critical three-pointer with just one second left on the shot clock, with Mesa only up by three, that made the difference in the game. That three pushed the T-Birds lead to 69-63. On the ensueing offensive possession for Cochise, Cam Burist was able to steal the ball and call timeout. It was then Burist on that next possession after the timeout that nailed a huge three to extend Mesa's lead to 72-63.
Also scoring in double-figures for Mesa was Rajhan Billingsley who had 14 while also collecting six rebounds and Nik Nehls who finished with 13 points.
Mesa moves to 6-4 on the season and 3-3 in conference play. The T-Birds did have a game next Tuesday night against Hillcrest but that game has been cancelled so the T-Birds will be off until the Fiesta Bowl Junior College Shootout December 27-29.