THATCHER, Ariz. — No. 17 Eastern Arizona College secured its second straight Region 1 championship Saturday night, holding off Arizona Western College 66-63 in a tight battle.
The Gila Monsters (29-3, 16-2 ACCAC) led most of the way but had to withstand a late push from the Matadors (23-8, 13-5 ACCAC) to claim the title. With the victory, Eastern Arizona advances to the NJCAA West District Championship, where they will face No. 1 Snow College on March 15 in Ephraim, Utah.
Sophomore Armari Carraway, who was named Region 1 Championship Game MVP and recently committed to Charleston Southern University, led EAC with 15 points, five assists, and four rebounds. Tarrance Warren added 14 points, including two clutch free throws in the closing seconds to secure the win. Kaden Ericksen and JT Elder each contributed nine points.
Arizona Western was led by Edwin Suarez and Cam Atkinson, who both scored 19 points. Suarez also pulled down 13 rebounds, but the Matadors struggled at the free-throw line, making just 12 of 22 attempts (54.5%).
Eastern Arizona took a 33-29 halftime lead and extended it to 12 points early in the second half, but Arizona Western rallied. Atkinson’s jumper in the final seconds cut the deficit to one, but Warren responded by sinking two free throws to push the lead back to three. Atkinson had a final shot to tie the game, but his 3-point attempt at the buzzer missed, securing the win for EAC.
Now, the Gila Monsters turn their attention to No. 1 Snow College (31-1), which defeated them 79-60 earlier in the season. The winner of the March 15 matchup will earn a berth in the NJCAA National Tournament.
