THATCHER — Eastern Arizona College’s men’s and women’s basketball teams combined for five victories over the weekend at Guitteau Gymnasium, highlighting successful weekend for the Gila Monsters.
The Gila Monster men improved to 4-0 under first-year coach Chris Martin, while the top-ranked women opened defense of their NJCAA Division I national championship with three consecutive victories.
Friday’s 90-86 overtime victory over Salt Lake is the first in EAC men’s basketball history against the Bruins. Salt Lake won the two previous meetings between the programs, defeating Eastern Arizona 101-73 in the 2020 NJCAA West District championship game and 66-59 in a 2024 postseason matchup in Thatcher.
Eastern Arizona built a 43-32 halftime advantage Friday before Salt Lake rallied in the second half. Hunter Schenck (Eden, Utah) tied the game at 73 with a jumper with four seconds remaining in regulation, sending the contest into overtime.
The Bruins scored the first six points of the extra period, but the Gila Monsters responded to secure the four-point victory.
Freshman Deuce Newt (San Francisco, Calif.) led Eastern Arizona with 24 points, while Daniel Trotenya (Kennewick, Wash.) added 20, including four 3-pointers. Malachi Seely-Roberts (Newberg, Ore.) contributed 11 points and seven rebounds, and Alex Horton (York, England) scored 10. Muhammed Jobe (Serekunda, Gambia) led Salt Lake with 34 points and 10 rebounds.
The Gila Monsters followed Friday’s thriller with a 109-55 rout of Community Christian College on Saturday.
Newt again led EAC with 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Jacob Rice (Aurora, Ill.) added 16 points, including a perfect 9-for-9 performance at the free-throw line, while Aiden McIntyre (Inglewood, Calif.) scored 15.
Moroni Seely-Roberts (Newberg, Ore.) recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Lithuanian forward Kristupas Miselis finished with eight points and nine rebounds. Former Safford Bulldog JoJo Ruelas contributed four points, an assist and a steal in 20 minutes of action.
Eastern Arizona shot 55.7% from the field, collected 58 rebounds and received 70 points from its bench.
The EAC women also enjoyed an undefeated weekend, beginning their national championship defense Thursday with a 56-54 victory over Salt Lake.
The contest featured seven ties and six lead changes before the Gila Monsters broke a 48-48 tie in the closing minutes and held on for the victory.
Amelia Corassaniti (Narrogin, Western Australia) led EAC with 12 points and seven rebounds, while Ana Lopes (São Paulo, Brazil) and Diamond Prince (Chandler, Ariz.) contributed eight points apiece off the bench.
Eastern Arizona found its shooting touch Friday, connecting on 11 of 22 attempts from 3-point range in a 71-55 victory over Snow College. Masa Jovanovic (Belgrade, Serbia) scored a team-high 17 points, knocking down five 3-pointers.
The Gila Monsters completed their sweep Saturday with an 81-53 victory over North Idaho College, building a 47-21 halftime advantage.
Sarah Perrussel (Villeurbanne, France) led EAC with 18 points, including three 3-pointers, while Lamaiya Woodberry (Phoenix, Ariz.) added 10 and Jovanovic finished with nine. Eastern Arizona shot 33 of 61 from the field while holding North Idaho to 31.4% shooting.
The weekend also featured strong performances from several visiting teams, including No. 20 Arizona Western College, which joined EAC as the only unbeaten teams in the six-team women’s tournament.
The Matadors opened with an 80-78 victory over Snow College on Thursday before defeating North Idaho 72-58 Friday. Arizona Western completed its 3-0 weekend Saturday with a 64-61 comeback victory over Salt Lake, outscoring the Bruins 21-8 in the fourth quarter.
Salt Lake, Snow and Cochise each finished the women’s tournament 1-2, while North Idaho went 0-3.
Salt Lake defeated Cochise 68-59 Friday behind 23 points from Charlotte O’Neal (Sandy, Utah), while Snow closed the tournament Saturday with a 79-74 victory over Cochise.
The Apaches’ lone victory came Thursday against North Idaho, 76-69, despite a 38-point performance from the Cardinals’ Karsyn Freeman (Adna, Wash.), who connected on six 3-pointers.
Central Arizona College joined Eastern Arizona as the only unbeaten teams in the men’s tournament, finishing 2-0 with victories over Community Christian and Salt Lake.
The Vaqueros defeated Community Christian 110-86 before surviving an 83-79 overtime battle with Salt Lake on Saturday.
Carter Doleac (Sandy, Utah) forced overtime for the Bruins with a 3-pointer with 32 seconds remaining in regulation, tying the game at 73. Central Arizona outscored Salt Lake 10-6 in the extra period to secure the victory.
Schenck led Salt Lake with 21 points, while Mekhi Martin (Layton, Utah) added 19 and Jobe scored 17.
Salt Lake finished the men’s tournament 0-2 despite taking both Eastern Arizona and Central Arizona into overtime and losing each contest by four points. Community Christian also went 0-2.
The men’s team improved to 4-0 after opening the season with victories over Phoenix College and Lamar Community College the previous weekend, while the defending national champion women begin their season 3-0.
