(#20) T-Birds Avenge Early Season Loss To (RV) Central Arizona
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Central Arizona College (18-5, 11-3) | 16 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 54 |
|
Mesa Community College (14-7, 9-5) | 12 | 13 | 15 | 22 | 62 |
Central Arizona College
| Game Statistics | Central Arizona College | Mesa Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (16-68) | (19-71) |
| Field Goal % | 23.5% | 26.8% |
| Rebounds | 47 | 46 |
| Assists | 9 | 13 |
| Turnovers | 14 | 12 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 11 | 8 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 7 | 5 |
| Pts in the Paint | 22 | 22 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 8 | 4 |
| Bench Pts | 9 | 16 |
Saturday, February 5, 2022 - 4:22 pm | Derek Diesner
Mesa, AZ - The Mesa Thunderbirds were on a mission on Saturday afternoon, to avenge their loss earlier this season to Central Arizona, and the Thunderbirds did just that. After trailing in the first half, Mesa roared back to claim the 62-54 win.
With the victory, Mesa; who is currently ranked #20 in the latest NJCAA DII Women's Basketball National Poll, improves to 14-7 overall and 9-5 in ACCAC play. With the loss, the Central Arizona Vaqueras; who are currently receiving votes in the latest NJCAA DI Women's Basketball National Poll, fall to 18-5 overall and 11-3 in ACCAC action.
In the first ten minutes of play on Saturday, neither team shot very well. Central Arizona finished 31% from the field, while Mesa shot 23%; only connecting on four shots. After a quarter of play, Central led Mesa 16-12.
The second quarter was even worse for both squads. Central shot 15% (3-of-19) from the field and Mesa only shot 22% from the field and missed all six of their 3-point attempts. At the half, Central Arizona held a slim 26-25 lead.
Both teams would continue to struggle from the field in the third quarter from the field but made up for it in different ways. Central shot a perfect 7-of-7 from the free-throw line, while Mesa hit three of their nine three-point attempts. Heading to the fourth quarter, the game was all nodded at 40-40.
Mesa shined in the fourth quarter, saving their best effort for last. The defense limited Central Arizona to 3-of-13 shooting from the field, while the T-Bird offense shot a game-high 35% from the field. The T-Birds also made it count from the free-throw line, connecting on 11 of their 16 attempts. MCC outscored Central 22-14 in the fourth quarter, on their way to the 62-54 victory.
In the win, Jayla Johnson led the T-Birds with a double-double of 13 points; 10 of which came in the fourth quarter, and a team-high 13 rebounds. Mykah Anderson and Rylee Young both finished with 11 points apiece.
The Thunderbirds head back out on the road Wednesday when they travel to Tucson to face the 12th ranked Pima Aztecs. Currently Mesa and Pima and tied for first place in the ACCAC DII Women's Basketball standings. Pima won at Mesa 70-64 back on December 11.
Don't forget to check out the MCC Team Shop, as well as our Booster Club.
