STEFFEN’S 26 POINTS LIFTS MEN’S BASKETBALL PAST GLENDALE
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Glendale Community College (14-6, 5-4) | 43 | 46 | 89 |
|
Mesa Community College (10-7, 4-5) | 49 | 44 | 93 |
Glendale Community College
| Game Statistics | Glendale Community College | Mesa Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (33-70) | (39-61) |
| Field Goal % | 47.1% | 63.9% |
| Rebounds | 24 | 33 |
| Assists | 17 | 23 |
| Turnovers | 14 | 19 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 25 | 16 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 8 | 5 |
| Pts in the Paint | 44 | 54 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 9 | 8 |
| Bench Pts | 79 | 52 |
Mesa Community College Men's Basketball earned a hard-fought conference win Saturday afternoon, outlasting Glendale Community College, 93–89, at Theo Heap Gymnasium.
Mesa turned in its best shooting performance against an NJCAA opponent of the season, connecting on 63.9% from the field. Mesa built a 49-43 lead at the half after shooting 60% from the field pushing past their struggles from distance as they went just 1-8. The second half went the way of MCC early as the T-Birds would build up a lead as much as 16 points. The Thunderbirds appeared in control late before having to weather a major Glendale surge.
The Gauchos rattled off a 14-0 run at the 7:50 mark left in the half, holding Mesa scoreless for over four minutes late in the second half and taking the lead with 1:23 remaining. With momentum swinging, Mesa responded behind Ezias Steffen, who scored seven straight points to reclaim control and put the game out of reach.
Steffen finished with a game high 26 points on 10-of-13 shooting, while Tyreek Dean added 22 points on a perfect 10-for-10 from the floor. Mesa placed four players in double figures as Denali McNeal totaled 18, and Mike Alexander added 10. MCC totaled 23 assists and eight blocks as McNeal, Alexander, & Kashar Benton each had two ejections.
With the win, Mesa improves to 10–7 overall (4-5 ACCAC). The Thunderbirds return to action Wednesday on the road at Phoenix College.
Photo Credit: Francisco Coronado