YUMA, Ariz. – Arizona Western College men's basketball (25-6, 10-1 ACCAC) put on a commanding performance at The House, rolling past Central Arizona College 86-62 on Saturday behind an explosive offense and stifling defense in front of the home crowd.

The Matadors set the tone early, establishing a 19-13 advantage midway through the first half before erupting on a decisive run that widened the margin to 34-15. Boubacar Diatta capped the surge with a jumper, forcing Central Arizona into catchup mode for the rest of the contest. Arizona Western's relentless pressure on both ends of the floor proved overwhelming, as they built a 21-point lead by halftime, highlighted by a steal and emphatic dunk from Marsai Mason with just seconds remaining in the first half.

Arizona Western never let up after the break, stretching the lead to 30 points with a fastbreak dunk from Illiam Fevry off a defensive takeaway. The Matadors' reserves kept the energy high, dominating the paint and maintaining a double-digit cushion throughout, as Central Arizona was held to just 33.8 percent shooting and struggled to find consistent offense.

Matt Anglo led the scoring charge with 16 points on an efficient 7-of-10 shooting, while also collecting two rebounds and two assists in 24 minutes. Illiam Fevry posted a double-double, finishing with 10 points, 10 rebounds and a game-high six assists to go with two steals and a highlight-reel dunk. Paora Winitana delivered a spark off the bench, scoring 12 points on perfect 4-of-4 shooting, grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out four assists.

Boubacar Diatta contributed 14 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals in 27 minutes, adding a strong defensive presence. Mario Brunetto chipped in 11 points, four rebounds and connected twice from beyond the arc, bolstering the Matadors' bench depth.

Arizona Western's team-wide effort was evident, as five players scored in double figures and the bench contributed 32 points. The Matadors controlled the glass with a 49-32 rebounding edge, including 35 defensive boards, and forced Central Arizona into tough shots all afternoon. Arizona Western shot 49.3 percent from the field, capitalized on turnovers for 14 points and asserted dominance on both ends from start to finish.

"After coming off the win over Eastern Arizona on Wednesday, all we talked about leading up to this game was the case of urgency," Head Coach Kyle Isaacs said. "We had to have that versus Central today. We stressed we have to be ready to go. Wednesday doesn't mean anything if we don't take care of business. Not only today, but, from here on out. We're now, in control of own destiny, if we continue to do what we need to do, the chips will fall where they fall." 

Up Next

Arizona Western returns to the road to face Cochise College on Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 7:30 p.m. MST in Douglas, Ariz.