YUMA — ‘The House’ at Arizona Western College, was the Waterloo of Laura Hughes remarkable first season as head coach of the Cochise College women’s basketball team. On Saturday, the Apaches showed how much things have changed in Hughes’ second season, ripping the Matadors in Arizona’s loudest juco arena, 69-38.

“We jumped on them from the start and really executed our game plan,” said Hughes, whose team lost to AWC in the first round of the NJCAA Playoffs last season. “Western’s opponents only average 45 points, and they run a really good zone with one girl 6-4, and another 6-2, so we really did a great job playing together.”

The Apaches led the whole way, and by 11 at halftime before blowing it open.

Johnishia Welles led with 15 points, followed by Yvonte Neal with 14 and Madison Lopez with 13.

Tonight the Apaches play at Glendale Community Collge, looking to improve on their 14-2 record.

“We’re trying to work our way towards the playoffs and home court is huge for us, but we’re really taking it one game at a time.”

Cochise men

YUMA — The Cochise College men took a 13-game winning streak into the home of their fiercest rival, but after a solid first half, found themselves playing catch-up the rest of the way in a 67-52 loss to Arizona Western College.

Cochise’s loss forces a four-way tie atop the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Division I standings with Cochise, Mesa, Central and Western all 7-1.

Cochise led 33-31 in the closing seconds of the first half, but a late three by the Matadors gave them a 34-33 lead at the break. Western ran off the first 10 points of the second half and held Cochise to just 19 second-half points.

“They were physical, good on the perimeter and hurt us on the glass,” Cochise head coach Jerry Carrillo said. “We just couldn’t score the ball in the second half and they beat us fair and square.”

Jordan Russell led Cochise with 13 points and Tim Jacobs followed with 10.

Cochise is at Glendale tonight.