By Matt Hickman/Sierra Vista Herald
PHOENIX — Going up against perhaps the top Division II team in the conference, the Cochise College men’s basketball team built an early lead that held up just enough in a 76-72 win at Phoenix College on Saturday afternoon.
“I was glad we got out of there with a ‘W’,” said Cochise head coach Jerry Carrillo, whose team takes a 17-3 record into a pair of home games next week, Wednesday against Scottsdale and Saturday against South Mountain. “We led start to finish and were up 42-32 at the half, and they made a couple of threes at the end.”
Joe Bell Austin led Cochise with 21 points, followed by Demeco Blue with 16 and Jerry Duckworth with 15.
Cochise women
PHOENIX — Playing without leading backcourt scorer Yvonte Neal, who was nursing a nagging knee injury, the Cochise College women’s basketball team powered through Phoenix College on Saturday afternoon, 76-62.
Sophomore CC Rode stepped up in Neal’s absence, scored 13 points and defended the Bears’ top backcourt scorer, Antionette Miller.
“CC did a good job defensively — and she can score. She was 4 of 6 from the field,” Cochise head coach Laura Hughes said. “Our guards had to play a lot of minutes.”
Johnishia Welles scored 20 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, and Tianna Brown scored 15 and grabbed eight.
At 17-3 on the season, the Apaches are at home to face Scottsdale on Wednesday and welcome South Mountain on Saturday.
The women’s games tip off at 5:30 p.m. and the men’s games follow at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free to all regular-season home games.