The Pima Community College men’s basketball team opened play in the Aztec Holiday Classic on Saturday and improved to 13-0 with a 103-82 win over Central Arizona College at the West Campus Aztec Gymnasium.
The No. 6 Aztecs secured their ninth triple-digit scoring output of the season.
They started the game on a 13-2 run and hit their first 12 of 15 field-goal attempts. The Aztecs led by as many as 24 points late in the first half and were ahead 58-41 at halftime.
The Aztecs kept their double-digit lead throughout the second half.
Sophomore Cohenj Gonzales led all scorers with 31 points as he went 12 for 15 from the field and 2 for 3 from 3-point range. He also had five assists, three rebounds and two steals.
Sophomore Wes Ball (Marana) went 7 for 9 from the field with 18 points.
Sophomore Kota Benson (formerly of Baboquivari who graduated from Mesa High School) posted 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Sophomore Gabe Oldham and freshman Isaac Johnson each finished with 10 points. Oldham added eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks. Johnson went 4-for-5 shooting from the field and had six rebounds, three assists and one steal.
Freshman Brigg Wolfe contributed with nine points on 4-for-5 shooting and five rebounds off the bench.
The Aztecs outrebounded the Vaqueros 48-34.
Pima also went 20 for 29 from the foul line.
The Aztecs are back in action on Sunday when they play Glendive (Mont.) Dawson Community College at 2:00 p.m.
Dawson upset No. 4 Salt Lake Community College 103-98 in the first game of the invitational.
PIMA WOMEN LOSE IN AZTEC HOLIDAY CLASSIC OPENER
The Pima women’s basketball team lost 58-55 to Cochise College in the opening game of Aztec Holiday Classic on Saturday
The No. 13 Aztecs (9-3) took the lead after the third quarter but fell in the closing minutes to Cochise College, an NJCAA Division I program whereas Pima is Division II.
The Apaches went 6 for 8 from the free throw line in the final 30 seconds of the game to maintain their lead.
The Aztecs trailed 28-18 at halftime but went on a 9-0 run in the first three minutes of the third quarter to cut Cochise’s lead to 28-27. With the score tied at 34-34, the Aztecs scored five straight points to take their biggest lead of the game at 39-34 and cap off a 21-6 run.
The Aztecs held one more lead in the fourth quarter after sophomore Rori Hoffmeyer’s basket to make it 45-43 with 4:09 left. The Apaches tied it and took the lead for good with three minutes left.
Freshman Kiley Sours-Miller finished with a team-high 14 points as she went 5 for 8 from the field to go with five rebounds, two blocks and one steal.
Hoffmeyer was the only other Pima player in double figures as she posted 13 points and eight rebounds. She was 7 for 10 from the free throw line.
Freshman Kennedi Niemann added nine points.
The Aztecs will be back for the second day of the Aztec Holiday Classic on Sunday when they play Central Arizona at 8:00 p.m. Central beat El Cajon (Calif.) Cuyamaca College 100-49 earlier on Saturday.
Recommended for you
