THATCHER, Ariz. — Eastern Arizona College opened its NJCAA Region 1 Tournament run in dominant fashion, rolling past College of Southern Nevada 84-61 in Thursday night’s opening round.
The Gila Monsters (28-3, 16-2) controlled the game from start to finish, using a strong first half to take a 41-28 lead at the break. They never let up in the second half, outscoring the Coyotes (15-16, 9-9) 43-33 to secure the comfortable victory.
Fast start sets the tone
Eastern Arizona set the pace early, jumping out to a 6-0 lead behind baskets from JT Elder and Kaden Ericksen. Elder, who finished with 13 points and eight rebounds, opened the game with a dunk off an assist from Armari Carraway, who posted 14 points and eight assists on the night.
College of Southern Nevada briefly took a 7-6 lead after a three-pointer from Maximus Romero, who led the Coyotes with 13 points. But Eastern Arizona quickly responded, forcing turnovers and capitalizing in transition. Tarrance Warren sparked the Gila Monsters’ offense from beyond the arc, hitting three three-pointers and finishing with a team-high 15 points. Jasyre Robinson provided an inside presence with seven points and five rebounds, while Kaden Ericksen added 10 points and eight boards.
Eastern Arizona controlled the boards throughout the game, finishing with a 47-33 rebounding advantage, including 16 offensive rebounds.
Second half dominance
The Gila Monsters continued to pull away in the second half, maintaining their defensive intensity. They limited CSN to just 34.9% shooting from the field and 17.6% from three-point range. Meanwhile, Eastern Arizona’s offense remained efficient, shooting 42.1% overall while dishing out 17 assists as a team.
Cyril Franklin Jr. finished with nine points for the Coyotes, while Kadyn Koch contributed 11 points and seven rebounds. Lerone Wright added eight points and three rebounds.
Eastern Arizona committed just four turnovers compared to CSN’s eight, a key factor in maintaining control of the game.
Up next
Eastern Arizona will host Arizona Western on Saturday night, March 8, at 7:30 p.m. in the Region 1 Championship game. The Region 1 winner will travel to play the Region 18 winner on March 15 with a spot in the NJCAA National Tournament on the line.
