Cochise MBB finds defense again in routing South Mountain CC 105-61

The Cochise College men's basketball team went out to a 49-32 halftime lead and showed some early season defensive effort in beating the South Mountain Community College on their home court last night in Phoenix.

The Apaches were led in scoring by Jay Rodgers, who tallied 31 points and made seven 3-point field goals on the night. Stephen "Tank" Byard had another double-double on the night with 18 points and 12 rebounds.

In a triple-double performance, point guard Jalun Trent had a strong floor game with 12 points, 11 assists, and ten rebounds.

With the win, Cochise guaranteed themselves a home game in the semifinals of the NJCAA Region I tournament on Saturday, Feb. 26.

Cochise moves to 24-3 overall and 15-2 in ACCAC play.

"It was great to see our guys bring back some of our defensive energy that has been missing in the last few outings," said Head Coach Jerry Carrillo. "Jalun Trent ignited us by defending the ball and then pushing the ball and attacking in transition. It is great to see Jay taking and hunting down open 3 point field goals as it changes the game."

Next Up
On Saturday, Cochise College men's basketball will travel to the Valley of the Sun for an ACCAC showdown with Chandler/Gilbert CC for their last regular-season road game. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m.