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The Matadors made it look surprisingly easy Saturday night, despite the fact they were facing the ACCAC’s best defensive team and a team that had won 9 of its last 10 games.  But the Matadors took advantage of the fact that EAC hadn’t played a game in 8 straight days, and jumped on them from the opening tip, scoring 13 of the first 17 points of the game.  The Matadors were dead-on from the perimeter, hitting 8 3-point goals in the first half, and taking a 45-25 lead into the halftime locker room.  “I was really proud of our guys for the way they got after it as soon as we took the floor,” remarked Green after the game.  “We’re probably playing some of the best defense we’ve played all year.”  That was evidenced by the fact that Gila Monsters’ freshman sharpshooter Vladimir Bulut, who led the ACCAC in 3-point shooting at a torrid 50% clip (91-for-182) this season, was held scoreless in the first half, and his lone field goal of the night was a 3-pointer that came with 7:52 left in the game.  Bulut finished with just 6 points.  The Gila Monsters’ leading scorer on the season, sophomore forward Marcus Palmer, scored 8 of EAC’s first 10 points, but struggled later on, and then suffered an ankle injury late in the first half.  Palmer returned to play in the 2^nd half, but limped noticeably, and scored just one point the rest of the way.  Meanwhile, the Matador offense was a balanced one, with 4 players in double figures, led by ACCAC Player of the Year Kenny Dawkins’ 27 points, and continued to answer any Gila Monster rally.  EAC was never able to get closer than 16 points in the 2^nd half.  Matadors’ sophomore center Edvaldo Lima was named as the Region I Playoffs Most Valuable Player following the contest.

AWC Head Coach Kelly Green stated  “I was really proud of our guys for the way they got after it as soon as we took the floor.  We’re probably playing some of the best defense we’ve played all year.  And I’m so happy for Eddie (Lima) to receive the (Region I Playoffs) MVP, because he’s worked so hard, and his success is a great credit to his teammates as well.”

The loss ends the Gila Monsters’ season with an overall mark of 23 wins and 7 losses.  The 10^th-ranked Matadors (27-5 overall) now move on to face the team just above them in the NJCAA Final Poll, the 9^th-ranked Golden Eagles of College of Southern Idaho, this Tuesday night at the District Finals in Salt Lake City, Utah.  The game will be played at Salt Lake Community College, and tipoff is scheduled for 6PM Arizona time (7PM Salt Lake City time).  The Matadors will drive from Yuma to Phoenix Monday morning to fly from Phoenix to Salt Lake City, with tipoff at 6:00PM.