(#16) Lady Matadors Defeat (#20) T-Birds 66-57
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mesa Community College (13-8, 8-6) | 18 | 11 | 11 | 17 | 57 |
|
Arizona Western College (22-1, 11-1) | 15 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 66 |
Mesa Community College
Arizona Western College
| Game Statistics | Mesa Community College | Arizona Western College |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (16-47) | (22-58) |
| Field Goal % | 34.0% | 37.9% |
| Rebounds | 38 | 30 |
| Assists | 4 | 11 |
| Turnovers | 24 | 15 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 16 | 21 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 5 | 7 |
| Pts in the Paint | 0 | 0 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 0 | 0 |
| Bench Pts | 14 | 16 |
Yuma, AZ - Wednesday's battle between two top-20 teams lived up to the hype. For the second time this season, Mesa led early against a strong Arizona Western squad but fell late 66-57.
With the loss, Mesa drops to 13-7 overall and 8-5 in ACCAC action. With the victory, Arizona Western extends their winning streak to 17 games and improves to 21-1 overall and 11-1 in ACCAC play.
The first quarter was owned by the T-Birds. Mesa knew they would have to play flawless basketball if they wanted a chance to defeat the Lady Mats, and they did just that. In the first ten minutes of the game, MCC shot 7-of-8 from the field, 2-of-3 from beyond the three-point arc, and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. After a quarter of play, the T-Birds led the Lady Mats 18-15.
The second quarter was a complete change from the first ten minutes. Mesa struggled to shoot and was held to 4-of-17 from the field in the second quarter. AWC still struggled to shoot themselves in the second quarter, but still managed to outscored the T-Birds 17-11, to take a slim 32-29 advantage into the half.
In the second half, Arizona Western would continue to shut down the T-Bird offense. Mesa was held to just two made field goals in the third quarter. Mesa did manage to shoot perfect from the charity stripe (6-of-6) to keep themselves in the game at 48-40.
Mesa was unable to muster a comeback in the fourth quarter, as their shooting struggles continued. Finishing just 3-of-13 from the field. For the entire game, Mesa shot 34% from the field.
Offensively, MCC was led by Jayla Johnson's 19 points. Johnson finished 7-of-8 from the free-throw line, and also added two rebounds and a steal to her stat line.
The Thunderbirds return home this Saturday to host Central Arizona College; who are currently receiving votes in the latest NJCAA DI Women's Basketball Poll. Tip time is slated for 2 pm from Theo Heap Gymnasium.
Don't forget to check out the MCC Team Shop, as well as our Booster Club.