Sports

Sports, Uncategorized

Women’s Team Fighting for Playoffs

By Corey McMullen The Aztecs continue to roll, going 11-4 from Dec. 11. Aztec point guard Alyssa Perez was named ACCAC Division II Player of the Week on Tuesday for the week of Jan. 27-Feb. 2. She averaged 22 points and had a total of 10 rebounds, 8 steals and 5 assists.  Feb. 8: PCC 92, Tohono O’odham CC 66  The Aztecs ruled from opening tipoff and went into halftime up 40-28. Aztec sophomore Alyssa Perez led the charge with 19 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 6 steals. The Aztecs finished 34 of 40 at the free-throw line. The Aztecs ran away with the game, outscoring Tohono O’odham 32 to 15 in the fourth quarter.  Feb 5: PCC 79, Scottsdale CC 45 Both teams struggled to get any offense working in the first half and went into halftime tied at 21. The Aztecs went on a 13-0 run in the ...
11 games in, Aztecs remain undefeated
Sports

11 games in, Aztecs remain undefeated

The hits keep on coming for the Pima Community College baseball team as the Aztecs have started the season on fire, stinging together an 11-0 record at home to start the season. The Aztecs would sweep the El Paso Community College Tejanos in their four game set taking both Friday and Saturday double-headers, outscoring the Tejanos 38-9.   Pima vs. El Paso Community College  Saturday Feb. 8 - Game 1, Pima 13-5 The Aztecs found themselves behind, coming into the fifth inning 5-4. The bats came alive as Pima tacked on six runs that inning. Freshman Marcel Bachelierhit the go ahead RBI single to bring in freshman Alex Kelchas the Aztecs jumped ahead 6-5.   Later in the inning, Sophomore ArmandoAguilar hit a bases clearing three-run RBI double. He would later score on a wild pitch to make...
Kobe Bryant: A Legacy Beyond Basketball
Sports

Kobe Bryant: A Legacy Beyond Basketball

By KYLE KERSEY Jan. 26, 2020: Inside a local Panda Express, my friend Alex, a Houston Rockets fan, laments the death of Kobe Bryant by comparing him to some of the NBA’s greats. “This has to be the worst day in the history of basketball,” he says. “This would be like if LeBron or Michael Jordan died.” Truth be told, I loathed Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers growing up. Like many of you, I grew up rooting for those hyper-fun Phoenix Suns teams that always seemed to be full of young, exciting talent and yet never able to get over the hump of an NBA championship. Among the teams standing in their way were Bryant and the Lakers. One of my earliest sports memories is watching Bryant’s two buzzer-beaters against the Suns in Game 4 of the 2006 opening round of the NBA playoffs. I remembe...
Sports

Mens Soccer season comes to an end

By COREY MCMULLEN The Aztecs’ soccer season came to an end in November, finishing with a 15-4-2 record (12-3-1 regular season) and being ranked sixth in the nation. The Aztecs were bounced in the second round of the regional tournament by Arizona Western. The game came down to penalty kicks, where the Aztecs fell to Arizona Western 6-5. Thinking the season was over for the Aztecs, the team received one of the four at large bids for the NJCAA Division I National tournament in Tyler, Texas. The Tournament started Nov. 18 and went through Nov. 23. The Aztecs entered the tournament as the No. 9 seed. This was the Aztecs’ third straight year to the NJCAA tournament and their sixth appearance in nine years. In their second-chance game, the Aztecs fell 1-0 to Eastern Florida State in double o...
Sports

Women’s Basketball wins 3 of 5. Mens continue to underwhelm

By COREY MCMULLEN Women’s Basketball Pima Community College women’s basketball team continues to roll, winning 3 of its last 5, including a big win over Scottsdale. The Aztecs are currently ranked No. 11. Dec. 9: PCC 72, Arizona Western 67 The Aztecs defeated the Matadors (Division I) 72-67. The Aztecs trailed 30-28 at halftime but opened the third quarter on a 16-5 run in almost seven minutes to take a 44-35 lead. The Aztecs outscored the Matadors 29-11 in the quarter to take a 57-41 advantage. The Aztecs were outscored 26-15 in the final period. Sophomore point guard Alyssa Perez stole the inbound pass and was fouled. She drained her free throws to put the game away. Dec. 7: PCC 83, Scottsdale Community College 70 The Aztecs bounced back with a big win over the Scottsdale Community C...
‘AP’-style basketball at Pima
Sports

‘AP’-style basketball at Pima

Story by COREY MCMULLEN Photos by JOE GIDDENS For most teams, losing a leading scorer is a setback.      With Pima’s all-time scoring leader Jacqulynn Nakai gone, the Aztecs were without a point guard unless you asked head coach Todd Holthaus, who knew he had someone ready to take over. That person is Aztecs’ point guard Alyssa “AP” Perez. Perez, entering her sophomore season for the Aztecs, has been the leader the Aztecs needed for this year’s young squad, which is returning only four players from last year’s No. 5-ranked team. Perez started playing basketball in the seventh grade. She wanted to try it out because her dad played in high school and they would go play at the park. Perez, an only child, was born and raised in Tucson. In her free time, Perez and her family love to go to...
Sports

Aztecs earned a second chance at NJCAA Division 1 Nationals

By COREY McMULLEN The Aztecs were given a new life with receiving one of four at-large bids to get into the NJCAA Division I  National Tournament. In the second chance game, the Aztecs fell 1-0 to Eastern Florida State in double overtime. The Aztecs were eliminated from the regional tournament Nov. 2 to Arizona Western in a shootout.  Thinking the season was over for the Aztecs, they received one of the four at-large bids for the NJCAA Division I National Tournament in Tyler, Texas. The tournament went from Nov. 18 to Nov. 23. The Aztecs entered the tournament as the 9 seed. This was the Aztecs’ third straight year to the NJCAA tournament and their sixth appearance in nine years. Aztec sophomore goalie Nils Roth made some early game-saving stops. Roth made a diving stop in the first 1...
Women’s team nets 3-1 record; men’s team struggles
Sports

Women’s team nets 3-1 record; men’s team struggles

By COREY McMULLEN Women’s Basketball After opening the season with a dominant win over Park University, the Aztecs headed to Thatcher for the Eastern Arizona Classic. The Aztecs were overpowered in their first game of the tournament by Odessa College, falling 76 to 47. The Aztecs were quick to bounce back, and put a 69-point beat down on Southwestern College.  The Aztecs got going early with the help of sophomore Haile Lawson, who put up 22 points, was 10 of 12 shooting and had 6 rebounds. Fellow sophomore Marlena Arroyo-Plata had a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds. She went 5 for 6 from the field.  The Aztecs would dominate every quarter of the game, outscoring the Southwestern College 53-10 in the second and third quarters. The Aztecs’ third game of the tournament was canc...
Tippins takes the long way to Tucson
Sports

Tippins takes the long way to Tucson

By COREY McMULLEN  For most athletes to make it to the collegiate level, it took a lifetime of practicing their craft.        Kaylon Tippins isn’t most collegiate athletes, however.  At 6 feet, 8 inches, the Aztecs starting forward didn’t start playing basketball until his junior year of high school.  Born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, Tippins was a football player who never thought about playing basketball.  Tippins started high school in Fort Worth at North Crowley High School. He was 5 feet, 5 inches. By his sophomore year, he was standing 6 feet tall, and when he graduated, he was 6 feet, 5 inches.  Tippins and his family moved to Tucson his junior year of high school to be closer to his mom’s side of the family.  Tippins says the transition from Texas was a tough move. He d...
Adidas has a new teammate with Pima College
News, Sports

Adidas has a new teammate with Pima College

By JOE GIDDENS Adidas is now Pima Community College’s official outfitter for the next four years. The move is the second sponsorship this semester following the Chapman Automotive Group acquiring naming rights for the Chapman Automotive Sports Complex at the West Campus. These moves are following Acting Athletic Director Jim Monaco’s goal of branding the college.   Monaco says he is not able to discuss the complete details of it at our press time, however    “What it does is it saves us money on uniforms on supplies on shoes for the kids because they buy their own stuff,” Monaco said. “So we've been able to save money in our budget to try to help with other expenses because of this deal.”   Monaco said that additional perks of the sponsorship will be Adidas brand flags...