All Entries Tagged With: "Playoffs"

Online Extra: Softball upset by bottom seed

By James Kelley
Photo by Daniel Gaona

The No. 1 seeded Pima Community College softball team was upset by No. 4 seed Arizona Western College 4-3 in its first game at Regionals.

The ACCAC Player of the Year, sophomore pitcher Jordan Trujillo, (30-5) picked up the loss after giving up four runs on eight hits.

The Aztecs now face Central Arizona College in the first elimination game.

Jordan Trujillo

Moustafa confident for success in the long-run

By Chris Beck
Photo by Daniel Gaona

As the Pima Community College men’s tennis team earned its place at nationals, head coach Sharif Moustafa was named coach of the year in the Arizona region.

Originally born in Minnesota, Moustafa moved to Arizona as a child and quickly picked up tennis. Even from a young age, it was clear that the game was his calling.

“I was recruited to go to Phoenix when I was 16 to play for a junior tennis program,” Moustafa said. “I was the top-ranked southwest player.”

His skill took him to the University of Arizona, where he played for the tennis team. Unfortunately an injury ended his collegiate career.

Sharif Moustafa

Although his career at UA was cut short, his time there proved to be helpful and maybe even critical to his recent coaching success.

“I was coached by guys who coached top-25 players in the world,” Moustafa said. “I was very fortunate to have them as head coaches.”

While the 2010 season was his first at PCC, Moustafa had plenty of coaching experience before he arrived on campus.

He served as head pro at Club Yuma Fitness Center and as a pro for the Ron Smith Tennis Academy in Tucson. He has been a pro at the Tucson Racquet & Fitness Club since 2007.

“I had been coaching top juniors in the nation for four years,” Moustafa said. “When I heard the Pima job was open, I felt like I could bring what I knew about the community and what I knew about tennis into Pima and make it a national team.”

After a single season, Moustafa has no doubt achieved his goal. The team will head to Plano, Texas, on May 10-14 to compete for the national title.

In preparations for nationals, Moustafa is putting his team through grueling training in order to stay in top shape. His techniques prove that being coach of the year is not about babying players.

“The kids knew coming in that I was going to be one of the toughest coaches they ever had to face,” Moustafa said. “Especially with nationals coming in, they have been running three miles in the sand every day so I can get them prepared.”

“We are playing in Texas, which has the highest humidity, so I have to be able to strategize and get my players to not cramp out there.”

These strategies, among many others, have boosted PCC onto the national scene and earned Moustafa coach of the year honors. While the league recognizes his coaching excellence, he acknowledges that he could not do it without his players.

“I couldn’t be here without these players,” Moustafa said. “Without their heart and talent and the will that they put in for me. They are the ones, I just assisted them.”

In a single year at Pima, Moustafa has had incredible success with the team and only has higher expectations for seasons to come.

“My future plan is to build Pima to be a top-ranked team nationally,” he said.

Men’s Tennis Nationals lineup
Singles
No. 1 Andrew Barnett
No. 2 Alan Barrios
No. 3 David Tellez
No. 4 Default
No. 5 Rafael Sepulveda
No. 6 Matt Lancaster
Doubles
No. 1 Default
No. 2 Barrios/Sepulveda
No. 3 Lancaster/Tellez

Women’s tennis on late-season hot streak

By Steve Choice
Photo by Steve Choice

The Pima Community College women’s tennis team capped off its late-season surge with a strong showing at the National Junior College Athletic Association national tournament, held May 2-6 at the Reffkin Tennis Center in Tucson.

“I am very happy how the season is ending,” head coach Gretchen Schantz said. “This year’s team improved after every match and peaked exactly when we needed to, at regionals and nationals. We are now beating teams that we lost to in the beginning of the season with authority.”

The national tourney had not concluded at press time, but a top-20 finish for Pima was all but assured, according to Schantz.

Three Aztecs were still alive in their respective draws as play wrapped up on Day Three of the competition.

Freshman Gabriela Rodriguez and sophomore Lori Cinnamond punched their tickets to the consolation draw semifinals in singles play, while Cinnamond and sophomore Ana Gallardo advanced in the doubles consolation bracket.

The tournament is double-elimination, which means a player that loses early can still rack up victories in the “back draw”.

Freshman Lucy Gaynor continued her flair for the dramatic at No. 5 singles against Marley Myers from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College on Day Two.

Gaynor spotted the visitor from Georgia a 5-2 lead in both sets, but mounted furious comebacks in each one. Gaynor frustrated the lanky southerner with her effective defensive game, and Myers’ impatience led her to commit numerous unforced errors.

Gaynor also sent many well-placed passing shots past her opponent, to the delight of her teammates eating lunch courtside and cheering her on. Despite her spirited effort, she fell short, 7-5, 6-4.

Lucy Gaynor and Daisy Quezada

“I always have hope that I’m going to come back,” the native of San Carlos, Mexico said. “I never give up.”

Gaynor is already primed for next season, especially since she will be able to get in a whole year’s worth of training with the team.
“I didn’t start on the team until January this past year, so I was a little behind,” said Gaynor, who has only been playing tennis for five years. “I’m going to start in August this time, so I’m going to rock. I’m going to come with the big guns next year.”

The Aztecs will be without the services of Cinnamond, Gallardo and Ashley Oesterle in 2011, but Schantz remains optimistic about the squad’s future.

“I have half the team returning next year, and I am looking forward to seeing them continue to improve.”

With an almost certain top-20 showing at nationals as their springboard, the whole Aztec team will look to level their sights on their opponents next year.

Visit AztecPressOnline.com for updates.

Men’s tennis prepares for Nationals

By Chris Beck
Photo by Steve Choice

After an outstanding regular season, the Pima Community College men’s tennis team will cap that journey by making a trip to nationals.

The team secured its spot in the national tournament in the first day of the regional tournament, which was held April 19-20.

“We had a great day,” head coach Sharif Moustafa said after the first day of matches. “My No. 3 and 5 singles are in the finals and all three doubles teams are in the semifinals tomorrow.”

With this impressive outing, the team was able to lock down one of the three spots at nationals given to the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference.

The second day at regionals was not chock full of victories, but the coach was still confident in his team.

“We didn’t do as well as I wanted to,” Moustafa said. “We lost the matches we were in. My No. 3 almost beat the No. 3 from Scottsdale. He took him to three sets. My three doubles lost in three sets. Overall it was some very high quality tennis I saw today.”

Andrew Barnett

Fortunately, the losses on the second day did not affect Pima’s place at nationals, as the rankings will be decided closer to the tournament.

The national tournament will be held in Plano, Texas, May 10-14. There will be 36 teams from around the nation competing for the championship.

“The goal at the beginning of the season was to get to Plano,” Moustafa said. “We achieved it all as a team and I couldn’t be happier for the sophomores and the freshmen as well.”

In order to prepare, there will be no time for the Aztecs to celebrate their accomplishments.

“We start tomorrow,” Moustafa said. “We are going to get out there tomorrow and work at all we need to work at. No breaks.”

This attitude from the coach may provide a little insight as to why he was recently named the regional coach of the year in his first year at Pima.

While this is an impressive honor, Moustafa remains humble in an effort not to take away from the team’s achievement.

“When I came in here, we set a bunch of goals,” Moustafa said. “For me to see the kids go through and condition and deal with a first-year coach and still achieve all of our goals, I couldn’t be more content with that.”

In a season full of goals being successfully completed, the team most likely has a few more goals for the upcoming weeks. With nationals only a couple weeks away, the thought of national glory is no doubt in the players’ minds.

“This is on a national level so there are not going to be any easy matches,” Moustafa said. “There is not going to be an easy draw.”

With only one tournament to go, the team no doubt is looking for victory. These matches in Texas will be the sophomores’ last at Pima, so the team will be focused on the trophy. But coming home without one wouldn’t be disappointing either.

“Just to get out there, just to know we are top 36 in the country is a good feeling,” Moustafa said. “Now we would like to know we are even better than that.”

Women’s golf off to nationals, men to regionals

Story and Photo by James Kelley

The Pima Community College women’s golf team finished its regular season on a high note, as they earned a spot at nationals in Florida, while the men’s team is heading to regionals.

The Aztecs’ spot at the National Junior College Athletic Association national championship tournament was not really in doubt.

The top two teams in Arizona Community College Athletic Conference advance and Pima was second all year behind Mesa Community College.

“I’m really excited about nationals this year,” sophomore Brianne Anderson said. “I have actually been counting down the days for nationals since my family lives out there and I will get to see them all while I’m there.”

Even though Pima took a backseat to the Thunderbirds all year, the Aztecs were finally able to best Mesa.

Pima won the Gateway Community College Tournament, at the Kokopelli Golf Course in Gilbert. The Aztecs totaled 696 to beat Mesa by a slim five strokes.

Anderson finished third. She was Pima’s top scorer throughout the season and earned All-ACCAC first team and All-Region I first team honors.

Nicole Gentry

Freshman Jennifer Candanoza was named to the second team of the All-ACCAC.

The Aztecs’ second-place finish sends them to nationals on May 17-20 at the LPGA International Golf Course in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Anderson expects to better her 2009 nationals finish, where she was 23rd and was hampered by an injury and multiple rain delays.

“I am positive about doing a lot better than I did last year,” Anderson said. “With a sprained wrist last year, it was really difficult for me to play my game. Since my wrist is a lot better than the past couple tournaments, I know personally that I will beat my scores from last year. I will definitely do my best out on the course in Florida.”

Anderson will also get to play in the Ladies Professional Golf Association Legends tour stop in Tucson, The Womens Senior National Invitational April 24-25. The tourney will be at the Catalina Course of the Omni Tucson National Resort, where Anderson works.

“My boss at work, he asked me if I wanted to play in the senior’s LPGA tournament since there was one more spot open,” Anderson said. “I am very nervous but since I want to be on the LPGA one day, this is a good experience for me and I will see how it is with a lot of people watching.”

Men’s golf: The Aztecs closed the regular season with a fifth-place finish at the Eastern Arizona College Invite at Mount Graham Golf Course in Thatcher on April 19-20. Pima shot 290 on the first day and 299 on the second day.

On April 12-13, they went to the Gateway Community College tournament at the Kokapelli Golf Course in Gilbert, Ariz., where they finished fourth. Sophomore Matt Rubin finished fourth, at even par (72, 72).
Pima next heads to regionals, which will be held at the Palm Valley Golf Course in Litchfield from May 19-22.

Women’s tennis ready for nationals

Story and photos by Steve Choice

The Pima Community College women’s tennis team will get a little something extra in its May Day basket this year. That would be an invite to NJCAA Championships, which kick off May 1 at the Randolph Tennis Center in Tucson.

As the host school, the Aztecs receive an automatic bid to the six-day national championship tournament.

The steadily improving squad will look to end its year on a memorable note on the biggest stage any junior college athlete can hope to reach.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” head coach Gretchen Schantz said of nationals. “You want to peak late, and my team is doing that.”

Pima started off the year with some frustrating losses, but has come on strong in the latter half of the season. The squad stormed back from a 1-5 beginning to finish a very respectable 4-6.

Included in those three late-season victories were two thrashings of conference opponents on the road. On April 8, Pima dismantled Scottsdale Community College, 9-0. The Aztecs also paid a visit to Paradise Valley on April 15, resulting in an 8-1 demolition of the Pumas.

The one frustrating late-year outing for PCC took place on April 13, as Eastern Arizona College came to town. The Aztecs had difficulty finding their rhythm against the Gila Monsters, dropping a 7-2 decision.

The tilt against EAU did showcase one of the most exciting matches of the year, however, as the No. 3 doubles team of freshmen Lucy Gaynor and Daisy Quezada turned in a gutty comeback performance that had the crowd at the Tucson Racquet Club hanging on every shot by the time it finished.

The Pima pair drew EAU’s previously once-beaten team of Brinlee Goodman and Natalie Young. The Pima players came back from repeated deficits to claim a thrilling 9-8 (8-6) victory.

The Aztec duo dug themselves out of an early 6-3 hole to forge ahead 7-6. Doubles teams play to eight in the “pro set” format used at the college level.

Lucy Gaynor and Daisy Quezada

The seesaw affair eventually went to a tiebreaker, and there Gaynor and Quezada once again had to claw back from behind.

The EAU pair jumped out to a quick 5-2 lead in the deciding game, setting the stage for Gaynor’s and Quezada’s heroics.

Following some stellar net play by Gaynor, Quezada served for the victory, up 7-6 in the tiebreak.

“It was exciting, and kind of scary,” Quezada said of serving for the match. “We both tensed up a little bit in the tiebreaker, but I know we’re both excellent players, so we just tried to relax and play like we know we can. It was really cool to beat them, because we had lost to them the first time we played.”

Did any panic creep in when the pair fell behind midway through the contest?

“Oh no, you don’t get too up or too down at any point in the match,” said Quezada, a product of Desert View High School. “It’s not right to get too down. You just keep on pushing.”

Schantz’s team will look to push far into the bracket when the best in the country come to town on May Day.

The smart money for Aztec fans would be to stay until the end of each match, because these women aren’t going to stop swinging until the final point is decided.

Online Extra: Women’s basketball finishes seventh at Nationals

Story by Eric Townsend
Photos by Daniel Gaona

The Pima Community College women’s basketball team finished a bittersweet fifth place at Nationals, as a key injury and inopportune foul trouble may have cost the team its championship dreams.

The No. 5 seed Aztecs (28-8) opened the National Junior College Athletic Association National Championships with a convincing win over unseeded Bismarck (N.D.) State College.

Using smothering defense and excellent shooting from the field, Pima players paced themselves to an 82-56 victory.

However, sophomore guard Abyee Maracigan tore her ACL early in the game. Sophomore guard Jessica Jones led Pima with 20 points and sophomore center Tia Morrison added 19 points and 15 rebounds.

“We felt better prepared for this tournament as opposed to last year,” Morrison said. “We were all new to it, but this year it wasn’t as new, so we could see that at our best we could still win.”

In the quarterfinals, Pima played No. 4 seed Schoolcraft (Mich.) College. The Aztecs led much of the game, including 37-32 at the half, but they couldn’t seal the win without their two All-Americans.

In addition to the absence of Maracigan, Morrison was in foul trouble. She managed just seven points to go with 10 rebounds.

Schoolcraft ousted Pima for the second year in a row, 65-56.

Sophomore and freshman guards Nene Villalobos and Patricia Ramos led Pima with nine points each.

Schoolcraft was seeded one spot ahead of Pima but it made a world of difference. They had a bye in the first round, while PCC lost Maracigan in their opener.

In their first consolation bracket game, Pima beat No. 8 seed Illinois Valley Community College 77-76.

Once Pima gained a 58-42 lead, the team was able to hold on. Morrison returned to form with a game-high 31 points and 19 rebounds.

Freshmen Deana Bledsoe and Ramos added with 13 and 12 points respectively.

Pima beat No. 6 seed Parkland (Ill.) College 77-65 in the fifth-place game of the 12-team tournament. Morrison scored 18 points on 7-9 shooting. Sophomore forward LeAndra Lucas scored 13 points and Villalobos scored 11.

“I’m okay with getting fifth,” Morrison said.“I just know we could have done better.”

Morrison and Lucas were named to the All-Tournament team. Morrison averaged a double-double with 18.75 points per game and 12.25 rebounds a game and Lucas averaged 7.25 and 3.25 during the tourney.

Tia Morrison

Despite losing the most successful sophomore class in school history, Morrison said the future is bright for the Aztecs.

“It’s more than just individual talent,” Morrison said. “Coach T is great at what he does so there’s no doubt the Aztecs will make it far next year.”

-James Kelley contributed to this report

Women’s Basketball Nationals
Pima: 5th place
Final record: 28-8
Bismarck State (N.D.) College: W 82-56
Schoolcraft (Mich.) College: L 65-56
Illinois Valley CC: W 77-76
Parkland (Ill.) College: W 77-65
National Champions: Kirkwood (Iowa) CC

Nationals Bracket

Online Extra: Men’s basketball puts itself on the map with 7th place finish

Story by Chris Beck
Photo by Daniel Gaona

A year ago, the Pima Community College men’s basketball team was 10-20 and had never made an appearance on the national stage.

Today, the Aztecs have turned the program around, capping a “magical” 20-16 season by placing seventh in its first trip to Nationals.

The Aztecs locked up seventh place with a 59-52 win over St. Clair County Community College. It was the team’s third win in three days.

“The way the bracket is set up, if you lose the first game, the best you can do is seventh place,” head coach Karl Pieroway said. “We were able to do that but then there is an argument that the best two teams played each other in the first game.”

Pieroway respected the talent level Lincoln had but thought things would have been different if the two had met in a later round.

“They were more than deserving of winning the championship, they are a really good team,” Pieroway said. “Looking back you kind of wish that maybe we could have played someone else in our first game and then maybe drawn Lincoln in the second round.”

The second-year coach said the team was very jittery coming into the first game and that right away it was in a hole. But a short time later, Pima was close behind.

Then, with less than 10 minutes left in the second half, star player Travares Peterson landed on his head after going up for a dunk. Pima was trailing by five points at the time.

“He took quite a spill,” Pieroway said. “That’s when you kind of forget about the game temporarily and make sure he is OK.”

The Lynx won 76-69 but the Aztecs didn’t let that affect them.

After falling to the eventual national champions, Pima won three games to sweep the consolation bracket.

The Aztecs rebounded with a 79-58 win over Mercer County College, then took down Grand Rapids Community College 74-66.

The tournament was in Danville, Ill. from March 16-20. Pieroway felt that Pima had an advantage with the crowd.

“I think it’s pretty safe to say of the 16 teams there, we were the crowd favorite for sure,” he said.

At the beginning of the season, the Aztecs weren’t supposed to do much in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference.

Expectations weren’t high after Pima finished the regular season 14-15. However, it found a rhythm and eventually won the Region Championship at Phoenix College.

Since it was the team’s first trip to the tournament ever, no one was sure what to expect. But the Aztecs ended up excelling and Pieroway was impressed.

“For our guys to get out there for the first time and to play so well in all four games was great,” Pieroway said. “I kept telling our sophomores how proud I was of them and that they were putting Pima on the national map.”

When asked about a rematch with Lincoln, Pieroway laughed.

“They’re good,” he said. “They are really, really good. I’ll say that if we were to play them a second time, I have no idea what would happen. But I do know, if we were to play them 10 times, we would not lose 10 times.”

Pieroway said he didn’t know how many games Pima might win, but Lincoln wasn’t significantly better.

“They wouldn’t beat us every time. They just happened to get us at the right time and were a little bit more ready than we were,” Pieroway said.

Sophomore forward Peterson is the most notable departure.

Peterson burst onto the scene this season, winning two conference Player of the Week awards, along with a National Player of the Week award.

Other sophomore departures include Jeremy Harden, Warren Baker, JaMier Morris and Michael Purdie.

Morris was selected to the All-Tournament team. He averaged 13.5 points per game and 5.75 assists.

Pieroway is glad to have brought success to Pima but at the same time he is aware of the downside.

“For the first time, Pima men’s basketball will be playing with a target on their back,” he said. “I’ve gone through that before and I’ll say it’s a whole different set of circumstances.”

Pieroway said the team’s approach next year will be different.

“Now there are expectations, people aren’t going to take you lightly and people aren’t going to take you for granted,” he said. ”So we definitely have to put the best product on the floor.”

Warren Baker led the team in scoring with 15 points. Daniel Conorque and Jeremy Harden both contributed to the win with double-doubles.

The Aztecs took down Grand Rapids Community College 74-66 on March 19 to secure a place in the seventh-place game.

Baker had a big game, scoring 19 point to lead the Aztecs. Sophomore guard JaMier Morris had a terrific night with 14 points and 13 assists.

JaMier Morris

The day before, PCC defeated Mercer County Community College 79-58.

Baker again led the Aztecs with 20 points, including 3-6 from beyond the arc. Freshman Ervin Felder chipped in with 10 points and six rebounds.

The opening game against Lincoln College ended 76-69, killing the Aztecs’ dream of an improbable national title. Lincoln would go on to win the title.

This opening game loss could have dampened the team’s spirits, but only inspired the squad to win out.

This season for the Aztecs is definitely one for the books. Not only did the team go from 20 losses last year to 20 wins this year, but they also made history with a trip to nationals.

The only proper way to describe this season would be an extreme success.

In only his second year as head coach, Pieroway has tasted a regional championship and finished in the top half at nationals. Not too shabby.

While Pieroway looks on to next season, many key components of the team have played their last game in an Aztec uniform.

-Daniel Gaona contributed to this report

Men’s Basketball Nationals
Pima: 7th place
Final record: 20-16
Lincoln (Ill.) College: L 76-69
Mercer County (N.J.) College: W 79-58
Grand Rapids (Mich.) CC: W 74-66
St. Clair County (Mich.) CC: W 59-52
National Champions: Lincoln (Ill.) College

Nationals Bracket

Online Extra: Women’s basketball team recovers to take fifth place

By James Kelley
Photos by Daniel Gaona

The Pima Community College women’s basketball team closed out its season with a win in the fifth-place game at Nationals.

The fifth-seeded Aztecs (28-8) beat No. 6 seed Parkland (Ill.) College 77-65 to finish fifth at the 12-team National Junior College Athletic Association National Championship Tournament.

Sophomore center Tia Morrison scored 18 points on 7-9 shooting. Sophomore forward LeAndra Lucas scored 13 points and sophomore guard NeNe Villalobos scored 11.

The win over Parkland was the Aztecs’ second in a row after a close loss to No. 4 seed Schoolcraft (Mich.) College in the second round.

Abyee Maracigan

Morrison was saddled with foul trouble and in the opening minutes of Pima’s first game, the team lost All-American sophomore guard Abyee Maracigan to a torn ACL.

Morrison and Lucas were named to the All-Tournament team. Morrison averaged a double-double, 18.75 points per game and 12.25 rebounds a game and Lucas averaged 7.25 and 3.25 during the tourney.

Online Extra: Men’s basketball takes 7th place at Nationals

By James Kelley
Photos by Daniel Gaona

The Cinderella season for the Pima Community College men’s basketball team ended Saturday with a win in the seventh-place game at Nationals, their third win in a row.

The unseeded Aztecs (20-16) beat No. 4 seed St. Clair County (Mich.) Community College 59-52 in the seventh-place game of the 16-team National Junior College Athletic Association National Championship Tournament.

Pima was picked to finish 12th out of 12 teams in the preseason Arizona Community College Athletic Conference poll. Last year the Aztecs finished 10-20, and the last time PCC finished above .500 was 2001-02.

Sophomore guard Warren Baker again stepped up for the Aztecs with 15 points, leading Pima in scoring for the third game in a row.

Freshman forward Daniel Conorque had another good game, getting a double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Sophomore guard Jeremy Harden also had a double-double, with 10 points and 10 boards.

It was a story of what might have been for the Aztecs.

They opened the tournament with a 76-69 loss to eventual champion and No. 3 seed Lincoln (Ill.) College, which was playing in its home state. During that game, sophomore forward Travares Peterson was lost for the tournament with a head injury sustained on a dunk attempt.

Peterson was the Regional tournament MVP and was recently named National Player of the Week. The first-round loss meant seventh was the best the Aztecs could achieve.

Travares Peterson

Online Extra: Men’s basketball advances to 7th place game

Story by James Kelley
Photo by Daniel Gaona

The Pima Community College men’s basketball won its second Consolation Bracket game in a row at the National Junior College Athletic Association National Championship Tournament.

The Aztecs (19-16) beat fellow unseeded team Grand Rapids (Mich.) Community College, 74-66 on Friday to secure a spot in the seventh place game.

Sophomore guard Warren Baker led Pima in scoring for the second straight game, adding 19 points. Freshman forwad Daniel Conorque scored 16 points on 8-14 shooting.

Sophomore guard JaMier Morris got a double-double the hard way, with 14 points and 13 assists.

Pima will play fourth seeded St. Clair County (Mich.) Community College for seventh on Saturday at 10 a.m. Arizona time.

The bracket can be found here and the games be viewed online here.

Online Extra: Women’s basketball advances to 5th place game

Story by James Kelley
Photo by Daniel Gaona

The Pima Community College women’s basketball team rebounded on Friday as it won its first Consolation Bracket game at National Junior College Athletic Association National Championship Tournament.

The fifth seeded Aztecs (27-8) beat eighth seeded Illinois Valley Community College 77-76 to secure a spot in the fifth place game.

Sophomore center Tia Morrison returned to form with a monstrous game, scoring 31 points, grabbing 19 rebounds, blocking three shots and making three steals.

Sophomore forward Deana Bledsoe scored 13 points and had eight boards. Freshman guard Patricia Ramos scored 12 points.

The Aztecs will face sixth seeded Parkland (Ill.) College (28-8) for fifth place on Saturday at noon Arizona time.

The bracket can be found here and the games be viewed online here.

Online Extra: Women’s basketball falls without stars

Story by James Kelley
Photo by Daniel Gaona

The loss of Abyee Maracigan and the foul trouble of Tia Morrison was too much to overcome for the Pima Community College women’s basketball team as its national title hopes ended Thursday.

The fifth-seeded Aztecs (26-8) lost to fourth-seeded Schoolcraft (Mich.) College 65-56 in the quarterfinals of the National Junior College Athletic Association National Championship Tournament.

Maracigan, a sophomore guard, tore her ACL at the beginning of Pima’s first game and Morrison, a sophomore center, scored just seven points to go with 10 rebounds as she was saddled with foul trouble.

The Aztecs fared well without their All-Americans, leading for much of the game, but Schoolcraft pulled away in the last couple of minutes.

Freshman guard Patricia Ramos and sophomore guard NeNe Villalobos led the Aztecs in scoring with nine points each.

The loss drops Pima into the consolation bracket. Their next game will be against Illinois Valley Community College (28-6) on Friday at 10 a.m. Arizona time for a spot in the fifth place game.

The bracket can be found here and the games be viewed online here.

Online Extra: Men’s basketball rolls without Peterson

Story by James Kelley
Photo by Chris Beck

Playing without its biggest star, the Pima Community College men’s basketball team won a National Junior College Athletic Association National Championship Tournament Consolation Bracket game in dominant fashion.

The Aztecs (18-16) beat Mercer County (N.J.) College, 79-58, on Thursday, without sophomore forward Travares Peterson. He left their first game with a head injury and is out for the rest of the tourney.

In the consolation game, sophomore guard Warren Baker scored a game-high 20 points, shooting 8-12 from the field and 3-6 from beyond the arc.

Freshman forward Daniel Conorque scored 15 points, while freshman forward Ervin Felder scored 10 and had six rebounds.

The Aztecs will play Grand Rapids (Mich.) Community College at 11 a.m. Arizona time on Friday.

The bracket can be found here and the games be viewed online here.

Online Extra: Women’s basketball earns first round blowout

Story and photo by James Kelley

The Pima Community College women’s basketball team opened the National Junior College Athletic Association National Championship Tournament in style with a blowout victory.

The No. 5 seed Aztecs (26-7) beat unseeded Bismarck State College (N.D.) 82-56 on March 17. Pima jumped out to a 14-0 lead and held the Mystics without a field goal until 12:23 left in the first half.

Sophomore Tia Morrison chipped in her customary double-double, scoring 19, grabbing 15 rebounds and blocking four shots. Sophomore guard Jessica Jones led the way for the Aztec offense, scoring 20 points and draining 4 for 8 from three-point land.

On March 18 at 2 pm Arizona time, Pima will face No. 4 seed Schoolcraft (Mich.) College (31-1), which had a bye into the quarterfinals.

The bracket can be found here and the games be viewed online here.