Freshman Hallie Lawson scored 22 points on 10 for 15 shooting as the Aztecs women's basketball team beat Chandler-Gilbert Community College 92-83 to advance to the NJCAA Region I, Division II finals. They will face off with Mesa Community College on Saturday for the 10th time in 11 years. Tipoff at 7:00 p.m. Photo by Ben Carbajal
Freshman Hallie Lawson scored 22 points on 10 for 15 shooting as the Aztecs women's basketball team beat Chandler-Gilbert Community College 92-83 to advance to the NJCAA Region I, Division II finals. They will face off with Mesa Community College on Saturday for the 10th time in 11 years. Tipoff at 7:00 p.m. Photo by Ben Carbajal

Nakai, Bribiescas and Lawson combine for 72 points as Aztecs women's basketball advances to Region I finals

The Pima Community College women's basketball team (20-11) advanced to the NJCAA Region I, Division II finals on Tuesday after holding off a late rally from Chandler-Gilbert Community College (16-15).

  • The No. 1 seeded Aztecs beat the No. 4 Coyotes 92-83. They will play No. 2 seed Mesa Community College in the finals for the 10th time in 11 years. The home team has won each meeting.
  • The Aztecs trailed 19-17 after the first quarter and took back a slim lead at 29-25 with 6:18 left in the second. The Aztecs proceeded to go on a 19-2 run to take a 48-27 lead as freshman Haile Gleason was a key contributor scoring 10 points on 4 for 4 shooting and 2 for 2 from three-point range.
  • The Aztecs led 85-65 with 4:19 left in the game but they could not stop MiKaila Kayanni-Lee as she finished seven 3-pointers for the game; five in the fourth quarter. She had 28 points. The Coyotes closed out the game on an 18-7 run.
  • Sophomores Jacqulynn Nakai (Coconino HS), Shauna Bribiescas (Dobson HS) and freshman Hallie Lawson (Campo Verde HS) combined for 72 points. Nakai scored a team-high 27 points with eight assists and six rebounds. Bribiescas fell a rebound short of a double-double with 23 points and nine rebounds. Lawson went 10 for 15 from the field and finished with 22 points.

The Aztecs will host the Thunderbirds on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. The winner heads to the NJCAA Division II Tournament in Harrison, AK.

CGCC   19   15   17   32   83
PCC      17   33   25   17   92