YUMA, Ariz. – Arizona Western College men's basketball (11-5) delivered an electrifying offensive performance and showed its resilience down the stretch, outlasting Central Arizona College 89-85 in a tense ACCAC contest at "The House" on Saturday afternoon.

The Matadors stormed out to a strong start, establishing their lead with efficient shooting and a relentless inside presence. By halftime, Arizona Western had built a 47-39 advantage, powered by a balanced attack and tough rebounding. Early in the second half, the Matadors extended their margin to 17 points when Matt Anglo drilled a three-pointer.

Central Arizona refused to fold, mounting a furious late rally that trimmed the deficit to a single point with under five minutes left. After Luke Leatherwood's free throws cut the Arizona Western lead to 79-78, the Matadors answered under pressure. Marsai Mason delivered a pivotal jumper and key free throws, quickly restoring a two-possession cushion. In the final seconds, Aaron Barton calmly sank two free throws to seal the hard-fought victory.

Arizona Western's offense was on full display, shooting 50 percent from the field (35-of-70) and dominating the paint. The Matadors won the rebounding battle 44-34, blocked 8 shots and saw their bench outscore Central Arizona's reserves 24-8, showcasing the squad's superior depth and energy.

Matt Anglo led the way with a game-high 27 points on 10-of-17 shooting, including 3-of-4 from deep and perfect timing on a second-half triple that sparked the team's largest lead. He added 4 rebounds while setting the tone offensively. Marsai Mason anchored the interior with a double-double, tallying 16 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals, stepping up when the Matadors needed stops late.

"Being up 17 at one point, we felt our urgency meter disappeared," Arizona Western Head Coach Kyle Issacs said. "It just wasn't there. We ended up giving them 11 three pointers which has been our Achillies heal all year. We have to get that number down and get our makes from beyond the arc up."

While Coach Isaacs had concerns with his team's performance, he also shared praise. 

"We got back to work on January 2nd and called this time our training camp," Isaacs said. "We were probably having practice three or four times a day where we were at least doing something. Tonight, we ended up on the right side of it and now prepare for the biggest rivalry in Arizona."

Production off the bench proved crucial, with Mario Brunetto providing 10 points, 1 rebound and 2 steals on 5-of-8 shooting. Nikola Aleksic contributed 10 points and 4 rebounds, hitting 4-of-8 from the floor and 2-of-6 from beyond the arc to stretch the defense.

"This is kind of how our season box score is," Isaacs said. "I feel we have around five or six guys that hit around the 10 or 11 points per game mark. Matt got going for a bit, he's been off and on. It was good to see him open conference play the way he did."

Up Next

Arizona Western snaps a three-game losing streak with the win and continues ACCAC play with a rivalry showdown on the road against Cochise College on Wednesday, Jan. 14. Tip-off in Douglas, Ariz., is set for 7:30 p.m.

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