Information for this roundup provided by Pima media-relations director Ray Suarez:
The Pima Community College men’s basketball team got back in the win column on Saturday at Mesa, ending a two-game skid, with a 91-62 victory.
The No. 19 ranked Aztecs (15-3, 7-3 in ACCAC) used a 15-4 run early to pull away from the Thunderbirds (4-13, 2-9).
Pima used the early run to take their first double-digit lead of the game at 22-11.
They started the game going 4 for 4 from 3-point range with two each from sophomore Dillan Baker (Salpointe Catholic) and freshman Cohenj Gonzales.
Pima took their biggest lead in the first half with a pair of free throws from Gonzales to make it 48-27.
The Aztecs led 51-32 at the break.
They opened the second half with sophomore Jaylen Alexander finding freshman Gabe Oldham on inside passes for buckets on back-to-back possessions. Pima continued with 6-0 and 7-0 runs in the second half and held their biggest lead of the game at 76-47.
Oldham finished the game going 8 for 8 from the field and 8 for 10 from the free-throw line as he posted a game-high 24 points to go along with 10 rebounds and three assists.
Sophomore Toate Sika (Rincon/University) made an impact off the bench as he finished with a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds (six offensive) and two steals.
Baker scored all 14 of his points in the first half as he finished 5 for 7 from the field. Gonzales added 13 points as he was 4 for 6 from the floor.
The Aztecs are back at the West Campus Aztec Gymnasium on Wednesday when they host No. 12 Chandler-Gilbert Community College.
It will be the third meeting between the two teams during the regular season.
The Coyotes have beat the Aztecs in both games. Pima fell 79-69 in Chandler on Dec. 13 and lost 80-71 at the Aztec Gym on Jan. 10.
Pima women fall short at Mesa
The Pima women’s basketball team (12-6, 7-4 in ACCAC) played another tight game at Mesa (13-4, 8-3) on Saturday in a battle between two NJCAA Division II nationally ranked programs.
The No. 16 Aztecs fell to the No. 6 Thunderbirds 54-50 on Saturday at Mesa. It was the second time this season the Aztecs have lost at Mesa as they fell 73-72 on Dec. 9.
With the game tied at 50-50, the Aztecs missed shots on their final three possessions and the Thunderbirds kept Pima off the glass for one-and-done opportunities.
Mesa took the lead with 19 seconds left and hit two free throws with five seconds left to seal it.
The Aztecs trailed for much of the first quarter but bounced back in the second. They scored the first nine points to start the second quarter and turned it into a 16-4 run to take their biggest lead of the game at 25-17.
The Thunderbirds cut it to a three points but freshman Rylei Waugh hit a shot from the corner at the buzzer to make it 27-22 at the break.
Mesa went on an 8-0 run to begin the third quarter but the Aztecs countered with a basket from freshman Rori Hoffmeyer, a free throw from sophomore Dominique Acosta (Nogales) and a 3-point play from freshman Gabby Lopez (Bisbee) as Pima retook the lead at 33-30.
The Aztecs led 36-35 but Mesa went on a 9-1 run that carried into the opening minutes of the fourth quarter.
The momentum swung back into Pima’s favor again as they went on a 10-2 run to take a 47-46 lead after Acosta’s basket in the paint capped it with 5:33 left in the game. That was their last lead of the game.
Waugh finished with a team-high 23 points as she went 9 for 10 from the free throw line. She also had two steals.
Lopez also scored in double figures with 12 points to go along with three rebounds and three steals.
Hoffmeyer posted seven points and nine rebounds while Acosta had three points and seven rebounds.
The Aztecs got five points from the bench. Pima grabbed six offensive rebounds while the Thunderbirds finished with 20 offensive boards.
The Aztecs are back at the West Campus Aztec Gymnasium on Wednesday when they host Chandler-Gilbert. This will be the third meeting between the teams this season. Pima won 61-50 on Dec. 13 in Chandler and 80-34 on Jan. 10 at the Aztec Gym.
Abraham Valenzuela sets Pima record in one-mile race
The Pima men’s track & field team opened the 2024 season hosting the Jim Mielke Memorial Invitational at the West Campus Aztec Track.
Sophomore Abraham Valenzuela (Palo Verde) set a new Pima school record in the one-mile race as he finished with an NJCAA national qualifying time of 4 minutes, 12.94 seconds.
The Aztecs took the top two spots in the high jump. Freshman Tyler Rogers claimed first place with a national qualifying jump of 2.09 meters (6-feet, 10.25-inches). Fellow freshman Nathaniel Curtiss (Rincon/University) took second place as he qualified with his mark of 2.04 meters (6-8.25). Rogers’ jump earned him No. 5 in Pima school history and Curtiss’s jump put him at No. 8.
Pima also claimed the top spots in the long jump event. Sophomore Raekwon Weatherspoon earned the top spot with his jump of 7.55 meters (24-9.25) while fellow sophomore Jacques Jones finished behind him with his qualifier of 7.42 meters (24-4.25). Weatherspoon’s jump put him at No. 2 in the Pima history books and Jones is now listed at No. 4.
Freshman Carter Huntsman etched himself into the top five of the Pima history books for the pole vault as took first place and set his national qualifying standard at 4.40 meters (14-5.25).
Sophomore Kayden Cockrell earned first place in the triple jump with his national qualifying jump of 14.55 meters (47-9).
The Aztecs set three national qualifying totals in the heptathlon. Sophomore Jacob Acedo took second place with 4508 points. Fellow sophomore Dillon Arvayo (Mountain View) claimed third place with 4500 points and sophomore Broden Cahoon took seventh with 4326 points.
The Aztecs will compete at the PVCC Indoor Invitational next Saturday in Phoenix.
Pima women set seven NJCAA national qualifying marks
The Pima women’s track & field team opened the 2024 season on Saturday and set a total of seven NJCAA National Qualifying marks at the Jim Mielke Memorial Invitational held at the West Campus Aztec Track.
Sophomore Tianna Moseley set two national qualifiers as she took first place in the triple jump with a mark of 11.74 meters (38-feet, 6.25-inches) and tied for third place in the long jump at 5.54 meters (18-2.25). Her mark in the triple jump landed her No. 3 in Pima school history.
Freshman Maylee Thompson (Willcox) also closed out the day with two national qualifying marks. She tied for third place in the long jump with Moseley at 5.54 meters (18-2.25) as both are tied for eighth in Pima history. Thompson also placed fourth in the pentathlon with a qualifying total of 2869 points.
The Aztecs also got two athletes setting qualifiers in the high jump event. Freshman Izzy Green tied for first place with a final jump of 1.67 meters (5-5.75). Fellow freshman April Necaise finished tied for third place and closed out competition with a qualifying mark of 1.62 meters (5-3.75). Green’s jump put her No. 8 all-time and Necaise’s is now No. 9 in Pima history.
Freshman Brianne Roberts earned her qualifier in the pole vault as she finished with a vault of 9-feet, 8-inches putting her mark in the top 10 all-time in Pima history.
Sophomore Trinity Bethea placed third in the 400-meter race and set a new Pima school record with a time of 58.36 seconds.
The Aztecs will compete at the PVCC Indoor Invitational next Saturday in Phoenix.
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