#2 Mesa Women's Basketball Heading for 10th Straight Region I Championship Game with Victory Over South Mountain, 61-36

#2 Mesa Women's Basketball Heading for 10th Straight Region I Championship Game with Victory Over South Mountain, 61-36

Mesa, AZ - The lady T-Birds will celebrate tonight knowing their continue a rich tradition of earning a spot in the Region I championship game but as Mesa Head Coach Kori Stephenson would say, "we aren't done yet".

Mesa defeated the South Mountain Cougars Tuesday night at Theo Heap Gym, 61-36, in a game that was a horse of a different color from last week's regular season finale between these two teams.  Last week saw two teams battle to earn home court advantage and neither team wanted to surrender.  Tonight, the T-Birds used steady offense and steady defense to take down the aggressive Cougar team.

Like she has done all season, Diamond Fuller, who earned All-Region I and ACCAC first team for her efforts this season, recorded another double-double as she scored 16 points and pulled down 15 rebounds.  Coming off the bench in a big way was Janelle Barkey, who scored 12 points and pulled down eight rebounds.  Also scoring in double-figures was Cheyenne Begay, who scored 10.

The T-Birds held the Cougars to single-digits in points each quarter except the third quarter, which the Cougars scored 13.  Mesa dominated the paint as they outrebounded the Cougars, 56-26, and outscored them in the paint, 34-8.

Now the T-Birds again face the Pima Aztecs in the region championship game for the fourth year in a row.  The game will take place in Tucson at the Pima Community College West Gym on Saturday, March 9th at 7 pm.

MESA THUNDERBIRDS TEAMSHOP