Tucson, AZ – The Pima Community College women’s basketball team (9-2) found itself in a battle for three quarters on Thursday against Harcum College but ran away with the game in the fourth.
The No. 4 ranked Aztecs outscored the Bears 26-6 in the fourth quarter to win 81-60 in the first day of the Bruce Fleck Classic.
The Aztecs led by 11 points in the second quarter but the Bears closed the gap to 39-34 at halftime. Pima held on to a 55-54 lead after the third quarter but Harcum took their first lead of the game with the first basket in the fourth quarter to make it 56-55.
Freshman Jacqulynn Nakai (Coconino HS) hit two 3-pointers and sophomore Alliyah Bryant (Mesquite HS) made one 3-pointer as part of a 14-2 run to put the Aztecs back up by double digits at 69-56. The Aztecs held the Bears to just two points for the first eight and a-half minutes of the fourth quarter.
Nakai took over the fourth quarter as she dropped 13 of her 17 points in the quarter. Sophomore Aubre Fortner finished with a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds while freshman Shauna Bribiescas also contributed with a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds. She also had six blocks.
Sophomore Izzy Spruit had 11 of her 14 points in the first half. Fellow sophomore Christine Ortega (Flowing Wells HS) had nine points and 10 rebounds.
The Aztecs return to the West Campus Gymnasium on Friday as they play Bismarck State College at 7:00 p.m.
During halftime, sophomore guard Katey Roquemore (Catalina Foothills HS) became the seventh recipient of the Bruce Fleck Scholarship Award. The award goes to a women’s basketball player who best exemplifies work in the classroom as well as on and off the court. It is in honor of the late coach. Roquemore received a book scholarship, an individual plaque and her name displayed in the gym of previous recipients. The past recipients of the award are Nadi Carey (2011), Alyssa Roche (2012), Rachel Williams (2013), Adrianna Barrientez (2014) and Hayley Pryor (2015), Erin Peterson (2016).
HC 10 24 20 6 60
PCC 17 22 16 26 81
