Cochise Falls in Nail-Biter to Midland at Texans Classic Finale

LEVELLAND, Texas — The Cochise College Women's Basketball team came up just short in a tightly contested battle, falling 61–58 to Midland College on Saturday in the final game of the Texans Classic hosted by South Plains College. The loss drops the Apaches to 3–8 on the season.

In a game that featured six ties and eight lead changes, the Apaches led 21–20 after the opening quarter and trailed just 42–35 at the half. Cochise battled back to tie the game 54–54 entering the fourth quarter, but Midland closed on a 7–4 run to escape with the win.

Sophomore Lesline Penge continued her strong weekend with 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 blocks, dominating the paint on both ends. Guard Cecy Burruel led the Apaches in scoring with 21 points, connecting on 6-of-15 from the field and a perfect 7-for-7 from the free-throw line.

Freshman Hannah Dibadjou added 6 points and 8 rebounds, while Noa Mikami contributed 7 points and 3 assists.

Cochise shot 31.7% from the field and 33.3% from three-point range, while Midland shot 36.8% overall and 84.2% from the free-throw line. The Apaches narrowly won the rebounding battle 35–32 and produced 14 points off turnovers, but struggled to convert in the final minutes, managing just four points in the fourth quarter.

Midland (9–4) was led by Diana Szakolczi with 15 points and Latisha Wilson with 14. Despite the loss, Cochise showed steady defensive growth and resilience throughout the weekend, competing wire-to-wire against two nationally respected programs in South Plains and Midland.

Next Up

The Apaches (3–8) return home to Arizona for ACCAC play on Thursday, December 11, traveling to Scottsdale Community College for a 7:00 PM tip-off.