Men's Basketball hosts No. 15 Pima on Saturday
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Pima Community College (8-0, 3-0) | 49 | 60 | 109 |
|
Mesa Community College (3-4, 1-2) | 34 | 54 | 88 |
Pima Community College
| Game Statistics | Pima Community College | Mesa Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (40-79) | (31-67) |
| Field Goal % | 50.6% | 46.3% |
| Rebounds | 49 | 28 |
| Assists | 25 | 16 |
| Turnovers | 13 | 17 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 24 | 15 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 24 | 10 |
| Pts in the Paint | 56 | 38 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 9 | 6 |
| Bench Pts | 52 | 32 |
Friday December 8, 2023 - 12:00 p.m. | Dylan DeVlieger
MCC Men's Basketball will have a big task on their hands as they will host the undefeated No. 15 Pima CC Aztecs on Saturday afternoon.
The Aztecs come into play on Saturday with a perfect 7-0 record (2-0 ACCAC). Pima is averaging the most points per game in the conference as they put up 130 per contest. The Aztecs do well on the defensive end as well giving up 73.7 points per contest while holding their opponents field goal percentage to just 35.8% per game.
Pima is ranked the best in the conference in steals/game (17.7), assists/game (30.7), FG% (60.5%) just to name a few. PCC is coming off of two big conference wins over Phoenix College (150-82), and Glendale (115-71).
MCC comes into play on Saturday with a 3-3 overall record (1-1 ACCAC). Coming off a thrilling 87-84 OT victory over Glendale on Wednesday, the Thunderbirds have clawed their way back to .500 basketball. In their latest win MCC was led inscoring by Orlando Gonzales who had 25 points.
Mesa did a much better job shooting the basketball against the Gauchos as they connected on a 46.6% clip, an improvement from the season average by over 13%.
The game will tip-off at 4:00 p.m. at Theo Heap Gymnasium. admission is free with the donation of a non-perishable food item.
Can't make the game? MCC Athletics has you covered, tune into T-Birds Sports Live to catch all the action!
Thunderbird Keys to the Game:
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Take care of the ball: Pima steals the ball the most times per game in the ACCAC (17.7) while MCC turns the ball over more than they'd like with 17.8/game. The Thunderbirds must reduce the amount of possessions that Pima has and control the ball if they want to walk out with a victory.
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Create turnovers: On the other hand of taking care of the ball is creating chaos and turnovers. Pima turns the ball over (though be it by a small margin; 18.7 per game) more than Mesa. This could be an opportunity for MCC to get out in transitionand get some easy buckets.
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Run Pima off the three point line: The Aztecs shoot at the ball well from behind the arc (43.8%) best in the conference and 8% better than the next team in the ACCAC. The Aztecs have five players who shoot 43% or better from the three point line.
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Keep Gonzales hot: Sophomore Orlando Gonzales had a big game against the Gauchos on Wednesday as he shot 54.5% from the field and 66% from deep tallying 25 points for MCC. Though the season is still young, Gonzales is connecting on his release at a high mark as he is shooting 41.9% from the field, 50% from behind the arc, and 90% from the free throw line. For MCC to hand Pima their first loss, Gonzales will have to play a big role.
