Cochise Drops ACCAC Opener to College of Southern Nevada

Douglas, Ariz. — Cochise College men's basketball opened ACCAC conference play Thursday night with a 93–80 loss to the College of Southern Nevada at Stronghold Gymnasium. The setback drops the Apaches to 10–6 overall and 0–1 in conference in the first of a back-to-back series against the Coyotes. 

Cochise stayed within striking distance early, trailing just 38–36 at halftime, but Southern Nevada pulled away in the second half behind efficient shooting and capitalizing on turnovers. The Coyotes outscored the Apaches 55–44 after the break, shooting 47.5 percent in the second half while converting timely perimeter looks. 

Freshman Davon Jones led Cochise with 20 points and 13 rebounds, recording a double-double off the bench while shooting 8-of-16 from the field. Emmanuel Jo Samuel finished with 13 points and nine rebounds, and Teron Murray added 11 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. 

Jhace Johnson contributed 10 points, while Naeem Colston posted 10 points and 11 rebounds, giving Cochise two double-digit rebounders on the night. The Apaches controlled the glass with a 50–30 rebounding advantage and scored 36 points in the paint, but struggled from beyond the arc, shooting 2-of-18 (11.1%) from three-point range. 

Southern Nevada was paced by Maximus Romero, who scored a game-high 24 points, while Ryan Raad added 18 and Demarion Yap chipped in 14. The Coyotes also converted 19-of-21 free throws and turned Cochise turnovers into 26 points, helping seal the road victory. 

Cochise will look to respond quickly as conference play continues Friday night, hosting College of Southern Nevada again at 7:30 p.m. in Douglas for game two of the ACCAC series.