Cochise goes 3-0 in Aztec Classic
Apaches close out Aztec Classic with a great all-around performance
TUCSON, Ariz.—The Cochise College Apaches Men's Basketball team took the road this past weekend to play in the Aztec Classic hosted by Pima Community College in Tucson, AZ. Cochise took on two NWAC schools with Arizona and ACCAC ties in Big Bend College, coached by former Cochise College player and coach Jason Hopkins, and Wenatchee Valley College, coached by TO Nation and Tucsonan Matt Vargas. Cochise also took on NJCAA DIII Dallas Eastfield in the classic.
On Thursday afternoon, Cochise defeated Big Bend College 63-47 with a strong second-half performance. Cochise led 25-19 at halftime in a low-scoring half. Cochise pushed the lead to 20 points in the second half and came away with a 16-point win. Cochise was led by sophomore wing Ben Henderson, who poured in 24 points with six 3-point FG's on the day. On Friday, Cochise defeated Dallas Eastfield 77-66 to get another double-digit win in the Classic.
Cochise had multiple players in double figures in the win. Freshmen guards Jhace Johnson and Jackson Tumbridge came off the bench to score 16 and 12 points, respectively, to ignite the Cochise offense. In the final game of the Classic on Saturday, Cochise took on a very talented and well-coached Wenatchee Valley team from the NWAC. In the first half, Cochise had a tremendous defensive effort in holding WVC to only 14 points to take a 44-14 halftime lead. Cochise did not let up and went onto a 96-49 blowout win. Cochise was led by Sophomore guard Lewis Woosnam, who tallied 29 points, with sophomores MJ Clegg and Ben Henderson chipped in 16 and 14 points, respectively, in a decisive victory.
IN HIS WORDS….
Cochise Head Coach Jerry Carrillo
"It was a great 3 game classic for our guys this past weekend. First and foremost, it was emotional and fun to compete against a former player and coach in Cochise Legend, Jason Hopkins. Everyone in the Camp Cochise Basketball nation just loves and respects Jason. His bond to our program is never-ending. Our guys really competed and played hard, and our defensive effort was outstanding, especially yesterday on day 3 of the Classic vs. WVC. Coach Lane did a great job in the scouts of our opponents to be ready to compete so hard on the defensive end of the floor."
UP NEXT….
Cochise (5-2) returns to Cochise Stronghold Gymnasium on Wednesday, November 27th, for a 3:00 pm weekday afternoon tip-off vs. NJCAA #5 ranked Howard College from Region V in Texas. This is the return game from last season, which Howard won by 2 in a very tight contest.