THATCHER, Ariz. — Eastern Arizona College used a dominant second half to pull away from Cochise College, securing a 60-42 victory in the NJCAA Region 1 semifinals on Friday night.
Sophomore guard Eanae Dagons led all scorers with 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting, adding four rebounds, two assists, and two steals for the Gila Monsters (24-6, 13-4). Trinity Alex-Mayer contributed nine points off the bench, while Sarah Deng and Ashlynn Chlarson each chipped in six.
A key defensive presence in the paint, Millie Pearson anchored Eastern Arizona with 10 rebounds and five blocked shots, helping to stifle Cochise’s offense.
Cochise (20-10, 12-5) kept the game close in the first half, leading 24-21 at the break behind Jessie Joaquim’s double-double performance (13 points, 11 rebounds). However, Eastern Arizona outscored the Apaches 39-18 in the final two quarters, fueled by an explosive 22-9 third quarter run.
Eastern Arizona’s defense stifled Cochise, holding them to just 22.2% shooting (14-of-63) and 0-for-8 from three-point range. Meanwhile, the Gila Monsters capitalized on their efficiency, shooting 39.3% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc.
With the win, Eastern Arizona advances to the Region 1 championship game on March 12 at 7 p.m., where they will host the College of Southern Nevada. CSN pulled off an upset earlier in the night, knocking off No. 1 seed Arizona Western, 76-75.
The winner of the Region 1 final will earn a spot in the NJCAA Division I national tournament.
