(Tucson, AZ) The Pima Community College women’s basketball team (25-5) is heading back to the Region I, Division II Finals after it claimed its eighth straight win on Thursday at the West Campus Aztec Gymnasium.
The No. 2 seeded Aztecs defeated No. 3 Scottsdale Community College 66-59 in the Region I, Division II Semifinals. Pima avenged their lost to the Artichokes in last year’s semifinal round when the Aztecs fell 49-43 at the Aztec Gym.
The Aztecs led 61-59 with 2:55 left but the Artichokes were building momentum. Freshman Kiley Sours-Miller re entered the game with four fouls as she scored on a put back with 1:16 left to give the Aztecs some breathing room.
Sophomore Rori Hoffmeyer collected a defensive rebound off a missed attempt and Sours-Miller scored on a jumper as Pima called timeout after going up 65-59 with 34.3 seconds left. The Artichokes missed an inside shot and Hoffmeyer collected another defensive board. She converted on one of two foul shots with 21.0 second remaining. The Artichokes were called for an offensive foul on their possession as sophomore Amelie Buffill-Gutierrez (Sabino HS) took the charge to help seal it.
The Aztecs went on an early 9-0 in the first quarter and led 20-13 entering the second quarter. They maintained their lead and held a 39-31 advantage at the break.
The Artichokes went on a 10-4 run in the closing minutes of the third quarter to tie the game at 49-49 but freshman Kennedi Niemann hit a jumper in the final seconds to put the Aztecs back ahead 51-49 entering the fourth quarter.
The Aztecs and Artichokes were in a defensive struggle as both teams had one field goal each in the first three minutes of the final quarter. Pima held a six-point advantage on a couple of occasions and Scottsdale cut it to a two-point lead but could not tie or overtake the lead.
“We stayed focused on what worked for us. We’re really strong in the post but when they double teamed the post, we had strong shooters on the outside,” freshman Lucy Land said of Pima maintaining their lead. “It was just knowing what works and staying focused. Coach Todd (Holthaus) always tells us to dial in and stay locked in.”
Sours-Miller produced her 15th double-double of the season as she scored a game-high 21 points on 10 for 16 shooting to go with 14 rebounds (seven offensive boards).
Hoffmeyer lso scored in double figures as she closed out the game with 10 points, six rebounds and three assists.
Sophomore Mattanaya Vital (Amphitheater HS) went 3 for 4 from three-point range and added nine points while Niemann had eight points, three rebounds and three assists.
Land contributed with seven points and three rebounds off the bench while Buffill-Gutierrez finished with six points, two rebounds and two steals.
“A lot of people know we have a deep bench so we’re really impactful with energy,” Land said. “We’re constantly doing defensive cheers, speaking to the players on the court, helping them move around screens and communicating what we see and what they might not see.”
The No. 2 seeded Aztecs will play at No. 1 seed Mesa Community College on Saturday in the Region I, Division II Finals. This will be the first meeting between the programs in the finals since the 2021-22 season and their 13th overall in the last 17 years.
Press Release courtesy of Pima Aztec Athletics – Raymond Suarez
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