The Cochise College men’s basketball team lost to Salt Lake CC 99-73 in the District 1 championship game Saturday night in Salt Lake City. Cochise, the Region 1 representative, traveled to SLCC which represents Region 18 for the chance to go to the NJCAA national tournament in Hutchinson, KS. Sophomore Emanual Shepherd led the Apaches with 13 points and 9 rebounds. Fellow Sophomores Justin Jones, Jawan Stepney and Arell Hennings chipped in with 12, 11 and 10 points respectively. SLCC was 37-71 from the field for 52%, while Cochise was 27-63 for 43%.
Head Coach Jerry Carrillo on the game, “I am so proud of our team, we stayed and fought in this game and all year. These sophomores made their mark, winning 49 games and three banners in 2 years.”
The loss marks the end of another great season for the Apaches. Cochise was 26-7, earning a Region 1 Championship and a shared ACCAC title with Phoenix college. The Apaches stormed through the Region tournament winning the two games by a combined 51 points.