Aztecs Women's Basketball beats No. 15 Illinois Central College in game between two NJCAA ranked teams

The Pima Community College women's basketball team (3-1) faced its first test in NJCAA Division II play on Thursday against Illinois Central College (2-2).

• The No. 12 ranked Aztecs defeated the No. 15 Panthers 90-77 at the West Campus Aztec Gymnasium.
• The game featured 11 ties; seven in the first half. The Aztecs trailed 46-44 with 6:36 left in the third quarter but used a 15-6 run in three and a half minutes to go up 59-52. The Aztecs outscored the Panthers 31-19 in the quarter to take a 68-58 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
• Freshman Kiley Sours-Miller and Rori Hoffmeyer (Cibola HS) established their presence as they help Pima start the final quarter with a 10-0 run as the Aztecs held their biggest lead of the game at 78-58. The Panthers could not get closer than 12 points the rest of the game.
• The Aztecs trailed in the first quarter but used a 12-2 run to take a 20-16 lead at the end. Illinois Central used the three-ball to retake the lead in the second quarter as they outscored Pima 16-6 in the first six minutes to take a 32-26 advantage. Freshman Ahdiayh Chee (Dobson HS) came off the bench and scored five straight points to give Pima a 33-32 lead. The Aztecs trailed 39-37 at the break but outscored the Panthers 53-38 in the second half.
• Sours-Miller finished with a double-double of 29 points and 13 rebounds. She went 13 for 18 from the field. Hoffmeyer closed it out with 16 points and eight rebounds.
• Freshman Melicia Nelson (Window Rock HS) had six points, 11 assists, five steals and three rebounds. Sophomore Kennedi Niemann posted nine points, four assists and three rebounds.
• Sophomores Tayden Hanks, Mattanaya Vital (Amphitheater HS) and Chee each had eight points.

The Aztecs will get a little break in game play as they return to the West Campus Aztec Gymnasium on Wednesday to begin ACCAC conference play. They will go up against Phoenix College at 5:30 p.m.

ICC   16   23   19   19   77
PCC  20   17   31   22   90