Apache men, women end regular season Friday

With the NJCAA post season playoffs set to begin next week the Cochise College men and women basketball teams will host Pima Community College this Friday in the regular season finale at Cochise Stronghold.

The women will play at 5:30 p.m. followed by the men at 7:30.

The two teams were at Central Arizona College Tuesday. Those results were not available at press time.

Depending on what happened Tuesday and what could happen Friday against Pima will indicate who and where Cochise will play in the playoffs.

Saturday the Apaches hosted Glendale and came away with a 64-44 win.

Cochise led 30-25 at the half, and slowly pulled away the rest of the game. The Apaches led 46-34 with 10 minutes to go.

Jordan Russell led Cochise with 13 points. Jerry Duckworth and Demeco Blue followed with 12 points and Joe Bell Austin added 10.

On Wednesday Cochise fell to ACCAC rival Arizona Western 66-60 in Cochise Stronghold.

The Apaches led by two at the midway point of the first half and had a seven point lead late in the half when Western drilled a three pulling within four, 39-35 at the half.

By the 10-minute mark of the second half Western had taken a 49-48 lead and continued to build on it.

Cochise cut the lead to three late but a Matador three pushed the lead back up to six.

Duckworth led Cochise in scoring with 15 points, Russell had 11 and Tevin Caldwell contributed 10.

Last week’s split gives the Apaches a 24-4 overall record and 17-3 conference mark heading into a rematch with region-leading Central Arizona.

The Cochise women on Wednesday also fell to Arizona Western 63-56.

On Jan. 5 in Yuma the Lady Apaches spanked this same Matador team 69-38.

Cochise and Western were tied at 56 with three minutes remaining when Western went on a 7-0 run to close out the game.

The Lady Matadors led 29-21 at the half.

Yvonte Neal was the only Lady Apache to score in double figures finishing with 19 points.

On Saturday the Lady Apaches bounced back beating Glendale 78-45.

Neal led the Lady Apaches in scoring once again with 19 points, Justina Prairie Chief had 13, Jasmine Lemon had 11 and Johnishia Welles had 10.