YUMA, Ariz. - Without their leading scorer and rebounder, the Arizona Western College women's basketball team (18-9, 11-2 ACCAC) delivered under rivalry pressure, fending off College of Southern Nevada (16-12, 5-9 ACCAC) in a tense 70-63 win at The House on Saturday afternoon. The Lady Matadors were without sophomore leader Mable Doumbia due to injury and needed other players to step up and deliver. Leading the way for the Lady Matadors was Kimora Jenkins who poured in a career high 28 points backed by Arizona Western's massive third-quarter surge and perfect free-throw shooting to overcome a late Coyotes rally and secure a pivotal conference victory at home.

Kimora Jenkins' previous career high was 17 points on December 6th, 2025, versus Salt Lake Community College. Jenkins' 28-point performance was fueled by a blistering 7-of-12 from three-point range and a flawless 3-for-3 at the line. Jenkins' scoring outburst came at key moments, helping the Matadors answer every Southern Nevada run and keeping the momentum in Yuma.

"Knowing Mable was out, she's a big part of our offense, I knew we all had to step up, if it had to be me I ws okay with that," Jenkins said. "I knew after I made my first shot that I was feeling pretty good. We talked about having energy and to keep going."

Both teams battled through a physical first half marked by lead changes and tight defense. Arizona Western ended the first quarter with a 16-13 edge, but Southern Nevada clawed back to take a slim 28-27 lead into halftime. Garance Soulas and Chen Pan kept the Matadors close, combining for several tough buckets and key rebounds.

The third quarter proved decisive, as Arizona Western exploded for 26 points on 61.5 percent shooting, including four triples from Jenkins. The Matadors' defense clamped down, holding CSN to just 13 in the frame and building a 53-41 lead. Despite heavy foul trouble and a late surge by the Coyotes—who outscored AWC 22-17 in the fourth quarter—the Matadors' composure at the line (14-for-14 free throws for the game) and timely buckets from Soulas and Pan preserved the win as the final seconds ticked away in a raucous rivalry environment.

"Excited for our kids to come out on top," Arizona Western head coach Chelsea Dewey said. "It's a challenge to make up for the points Mable gives us, she's our engine on everything. She guards the best players, she gets us going on offense, so, really proud of our kids to fill the void. No big adjustments, just next player up mentality, it makes us better as a group, we need to rely on more people and it's good growth for us down the stretch."

Chen Pan finished with 14 points, 7 rebounds and a block while logging a team-high 39 minutes. Garance Soulas added 13 points and 6 rebounds, going a perfect 6-of-6 from the line. Jessica Liena directed the offense with 7 points, 5 rebounds and a team-best 4 assists, shooting 3-of-4 from the floor. With the win, the Lady Matadors secured the number two seed and a home game in the upcoming conference playoffs.

"We have some things we still need to fix," Dewey said. "Still a lot of basketball left, we still need to find a little more toughness if we really want to make a deep run."

Up Next

Arizona Western heads into the final week of the regular season starting with the final road game on Wednesday, traveling to Prescott to face Yavapai College on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 5:30 p.m. The Lady Matadors will then end the regular season at home next Saturday, hosting Eastern Arizona at 2:00 p.m.