(Joplin, MO) The Pima Community College women’s basketball season came to a close on Saturday in the NJCAA Division II National Championship game.
The No. 6 seeded Aztecs were in another tug of war battle but came up short against No. 4 seeded Johnson County Community College 75-67 as the Aztecs earned the Runner-Up trophy. The game featured 11 ties and 16 lead changes.
The Aztecs and the Cavaliers (34-1) went toe-to-toe for most of the game, but Johnson County started the fourth quarter on an 11-4 run in the first four minutes to take their biggest lead of the game at 66-57.
The Aztecs got four straight points from sophomore Amelie Buffil-Gutierrez (Sabino HS) to cut the deficit to 67-63 but that’s as close as Pima would get as the Cavaliers scored four points of their own to go back up by eight at 71-63 with 23.1 seconds left.
“It was very competitive but we didn’t play our “A” game because of yesterday’s (semifinal) game,” Pima women’s basketball coach Todd Holthaus said. “It took us a half to get our legs under us. (Johnson County) did a good job on our guards and their three-point shooting was the difference. They were built to match with us. During the tournament we were able to use our quickness, but they matched it.”
The Aztecs led by as much as four points early in the first quarter as it was an indicator that the game was going to be close. There were seven lead changes and three ties in the opening quarter. Johnson County scored five straight points to take their biggest advantage of the half at four points as well (31-27). The Aztecs trailed 36-33 at halftime.
The Cavaliers scored the first points in the third quarter, but the Aztecs went on a 9-2 run to reclaim the lead at 42-41 with 7:00 left in the third quarter. Johnson County took the lead back with a three-pointer on the next possession.
Buffill-Gutierrez led the way for the Aztecs with 18 points. She was 7 for 12 shooting for the game.
Hoffmeyer posted 12 points, six rebounds and two assists while Sours-Miller finished with nine points and nine rebounds.
Freshman Melicia Nelson (Window Rick HS) closed out the game with eight points, 14 rebounds and five assists.
Niemann, who averaged 17 points in the tournament was held to seven points.
“I’m super proud of the week she had,” Holthaus said about Kennedi Niemann. “This was her breaking out party. Everyone knows how hard she works. She never complained and relished it all.”
The Aztecs closed out the season at 29-6 overall, which tied a single-season record for the women’s basketball program under Coach Holthaus. They were 29-7 in 2010-11 and made the NJCAA Division II title game.
Press Release courtesy of Pima Aztec Athletics – Raymond Suarez
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