Cochise takes two on the road, looks to extend win streak at home against Mesa

CHANDLER, Ariz. -- The Apaches were back on the road this past week, taking on Central Arizona College and Chandler-Gilbert Community College. Wednesday's matchup versus Central was expected to be a tough one, being as though the last matchup was a dogfight that ended with a 5-point Apache win. The game was indeed a battle but the Apaches were able to double the last game's win margin; defeating the Vaqueras by 10 points. The Apaches introduced a new face to the starting lineup with an appearance from freshman Ali Hardwell and sophomore Deja Jones returned to the starting lineup after a very productive stint coming off the bench. The change in the lineup seemed to lead to a more aggressive appearance defensively and a slightly faster offense. Scoring increased from the starters with the change as well. The five starters combined for an impressive 59 points out of the 81 total Apache points.

The Apaches ended the match with five double-digit scorers. Sophomore Deja Jones led the Apaches in scoring with 15 points but really stacked the stat sheet with 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Freshman Maeva de la Fortuna Ngnawo captured yet another double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Freshmen Chana Paxixe finished with 10 points and Andjela Bigovic with 12 points. Sophomore Deyana Bogan also finished the game with 10 points.

Saturday's matchup was not as tough for the Apaches. The Apaches pulled away with a 40-point win over the Coyotes. Almost every Apache scored a basket and four Apaches scored in double digits. Freshman Ngnawo shot a blazing 78% from the field, finishing the game with 16 points on only 9 shot attempts. Overall the Apaches shot extremely well from the field, pouring in almost 50% of the shot attempts and shooting an outstanding 72.7% from the three-point line.

The Apaches host Mesa Community College Wednesday at 7:30 pm. This is a huge matchup as the Apaches look for revenge for the loss they took at the hands of the Thunderbirds. The two teams' first meeting ended in a 3-point overtime win for the Thunderbirds. Saturday the Apaches will host South Mountain Community College at 4:00 pm.