The Pima Community College women’s basketball team was back on the road on Saturday for an ACCAC conference match-up at Phoenix College and it dominated with a 79-33 victory.
The No. 17 Aztecs (14-6, 9-4 in ACCAC) held an opponent to 40 points or less for the sixth time this season.
Pima limited the Bears (4-15, 3-10) to single digit scoring in three of the four quarters.
The Aztecs were clicking on offense as four players scored in double figures.
Sophomore Dominique Acosta (Nogales) and freshman Rori Hoffmeyer both finished with double-doubles. Acosta went 7 for 11 from the field with 15 points to go along with 10 rebounds. Hoffmeyer finished with 10 points on 4 for 6 shooting and 13 rebounds.
Freshman Rylei Waugh closed out the game with 12 points to go along with six rebounds, six assists and three steals.
Sophomore Jordan Joe was a factor off the bench as she scored 12 points after going 5 for 7 from the field and 2 for 2 from 3-point range.
Freshman Tayden Hanks contributed with eight points and eight rebounds in seven minutes of play.
Fellow freshman Katie Burns (Catalina Foothills) posted four points, four rebounds and four assists.
The Aztecs get back on the road on Wednesday when they play at Glendale Community College. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.
Pima men rout Phoenix College
The Pima men’s basketball team took a double-digit lead at halftime and maintained it to beat Phoenix College (2-18, 2-10) on Saturday in Phoenix.
The No. 18 Aztecs (17-3, 9-3 in ACCAC) downed the Bears 107-72 as Pima scored in triple digits for the first time since their Jan. 3 win at Scottsdale.
Pima took a 44-33 lead at halftime and outscored the Bears 63-39 in the second half.
Freshman guards Cohenj Gonzales (Mesquite) and Kota Benson combined to score 46 points and hit 14 of the team’s season-high 18 3-pointers. Gonzales finished with 26 points as he drained eight from beyond the arc. Benson hit six from 3-point range as he posted 20 points.
Sophomore Dillan Baker (Salpointe Catholic) had 18 points while sophomore Jaylen Alexander added 13 points. Sophomore Zach Williamson also scored in double figures with 11 points.
The Aztecs play at Glendale Community College on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
Baseball team drops doubleheader at Paradise Valley
The Pima baseball team (2-2) dropped both games of a non-conference doubleheader at Paradise Valley (2-2) on Saturday in Phoenix.
The Aztecs’ defense committed six errors on the day.
They showed some power on offense by hitting four home runs.
Sophomore Jontae Hennesy went 2 for 6 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Game 1: Paradise Valley 7, Pima 6 (9 innings): The Aztecs took the lead in the eight inning after freshman Leon Cereceres hit an RBI single bringing in sophomore Ruben Castro (Tucson High) but the Pumas tied it in the bottom-half of the inning. The Aztecs left a runner on base in the top of the ninth and the Pumas won it on a fielder’s choice that scored the game-winner.
The Aztecs took the lead in the fourth inning when Hennesy tied the game with an RBI single that scored freshman David Shackelford. Sophomore Brant Kragel followed with a two-run homer to left field to make it 3-1.
Trailing 4-3, the Aztecs rallied again in the fifth inning. Sophomore Elijah Reeves (Marana) drove an RBI triple to left field to plate sophomore Caleb Herd (Cienega) to tie it. Sophomore Antonio Avila brought in Reeves with his RBI single to make it 5-4.
The Pumas tied it again at 5-5 with a run in the sixth inning.
Kragel was 2 for 3 with two RBIs and a run while Reeves went 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run. Hennesy finished 1 for 3 with an RBI and a run.
Sophomore Sean Farney took the loss in relief as he pitched two innings, giving up two runs (two earned) on one hit with four strikeouts and two walks.
Game 2: Paradise Valley 9, Pima 4 (7 innings): The Aztecs were forced to play catchup as the Pumas’ offense scored three runs in the first inning and four runs in the second inning.
The Aztecs tried countering with the long ball as sophomore Austin Madsen (Canyon del Oro) drove the first pitch he saw deep to center field to put the Aztecs on the scoreboard in the second inning.
Sophomore Nick Arias (Tucson) hit a lead-off home run to left field in the third inning as Pima trailed 7-2.
Later in the inning, freshman Andrew Hall brought in Hennesy after he hit a groundout.
Sophomore Dom Felix (Canyon del Oro) hit the third solo home run of the game for the Aztecs as he drove a 1-1 count out to left field in the seventh inning to cap off Pima’s scoring.
Felix finished 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run while Arias and Madsen each went 1 for 3 with an RBI and a run. Hennesy was 1 for 3 with a run.
Sophomore Tommy White started the game and took the loss after pitching 1 2/3 innings, giving up seven runs (three earned) on three hits with two strikeouts and two walks.
The Aztecs will play in the Zinger Bats JUCO Invitational from Feb. 2-4 with all games being held at Sloan Park in Mesa.
They will play a doubleheader on Friday when they play Trinidad State College of Alamosa, Colo., at 10:00 a.m. and the College of Southern Nevada at 2:00 p.m.
Women’s track and field earns two more NJCAA qualifying marks
The women’s track & field team competed in its second meet of the season on Saturday as part of the Paradise Valley CC Indoor Invitational in Phoenix, and the No. 7 Aztecs earned two more NJCAA Indoor national qualifying marks; putting their total at nine so far this season.
Freshman Larissa Blanchard took third place in the 60-meter hurdles prelims race and finished with a qualifying time of 8.93 seconds. Her time put her at No. 2 in Pima Indoor school history and was the fastest time in the event since 2019.
·Freshman Ja’Niya Ross earned a national qualifier in the high jump with a mark of 1.62 meters (5-feet, 3.75-inches) after she cleared the bar on her third attempt.
Freshman April Necaise tied her high jump national qualifying mark as she took first place at 1.62 meters (5-3.75) clearing it on her first attempt.
The Aztecs will compete at the Mesa CC Multi’s on Thursday and Friday and then at the Central Arizona College Indoor Invitational on Saturday.
Valenzuela & Tucker set Pima indoor records
The sixth-ranked men’s track & field team also got two more NJCAA Indoor national qualifying times on Saturday at the PVCC Indoor Invitational in Phoenix, increasing its total of 12 in the first two meets of the season.
Sophomore Abraham Valenzuela (Palo Verde) earned his second national qualifier and set a Pima Indoor school record in the 3,000-meter race after taking first place with a time of 8 minutes, 30.01 seconds.
He improved by 30 seconds as he finished at 9:00.25 last week at the Jim Mielke Memorial Invitational. Valenzuela set a national qualifying time in the one-mile race last week.
Freshman Nasir Tucker (Palo Verde) set a Pima Indoor school record in the 200-meter race as he set his national qualifying time at 21.59 seconds.
The Aztecs will compete at the Mesa CC Multi’s on Thursday and Friday and then at the Central Arizona College Indoor Invitational on Saturday.
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