Cochise Men's Basketball finishes 2-1 in Gila Monster Shootout
THATCHER, Ariz. -- The Cochise College Men's Basketball team took the road for the first time in the early 2023-24 season participating in the annual Gila Monster Shootout, hosted by Eastern Arizona College in Thatcher, Arizona. The men's portion of the shootout consisted of six teams which included Seward County College, College of Southern Nevada, Frank Phillips College, Snow College, and host Eastern Arizona College. All games were held at the Guiteau Gymnasium beginning Thursday, November 9th, and concluding Saturday, November 11th. The Apaches took the court against Frank Phillips, CSN, and Snow over the weekend and finished 2-1 overall.
Thursday, November 9th: Cochise-84, Frank Phillips-62
The Apaches maintained control over the Plainsmen of Frank Phillips College for the majority of Thursday afternoon's game where sophomores Jalen Barbee, Riley Parker, and Tracy Godfrey all scored in double-figures. Cochise pulled away early with a 13-point lead at the half and didn't look back from there. Parker was the leading scorer for the Apaches going 8 for 13 from the field scoring 24 points and adding six assists and five rebounds. Freshman Lewis Woosnam, who so far has proven to be a valuable asset off of the bench, scored 9 points with three assists and a steal.
Friday, November 10th: Cochise-80, Southern Nevada-70
Cochise faced the Coyotes of Southern Nevada Friday afternoon in what was a closer contest than the previous day. CSN managed to keep things close with the Apaches draining 7 three-point shots and going 13 for 17 from the free throw line. Cochise out-rebounded the Coyotes 30-26 and forced 19 turnovers, which ultimately was the deciding factor in the game. Sophomores Jordan Hernandez and Riley Parker were the leading scorers both scoring 16, while Hernandez tallied three steals. Jalen Barbee and freshman Joshua Whiteside each scored 9 points, while Tracy Godfrey scored 15 points and collected six rebounds.
Saturday, November 11th: Cochise-69, Snow-75
On Saturday, the Apaches suffered their first loss of the regular season, falling short to Snow College. Parker was the leading scorer for Cochise going 6 for 16 from the field, scoring 16 with five assists, and two rebounds. Godfrey scored 14 points with four rebounds and three assists. Lewis Woosnam came off of the bench scoring 10 points and collecting two rebounds.
At the conclusion of the weekend tournament, Head Coach Jerry Carrillo stated, "It was a great three-game classic for us early in the season. To play three NJCAA DI opponents early in the season will only help us to improve. Snow College was very physical, organized, and well-coached. We have a great group of guys who play very hard together, we will get better."
Up Next...
Cochise Men's Basketball (4-1) will host PHH Fire Post Grad in a non-conference matchup on Friday, November 17th at 7:00 pm.