Cochise basketball teams hammer Canadian opponents

PHOENIX — The Cochise College men’s basketball team came back after a 16-day break to take on the sixth-ranked collegiate team in all of Canada.

The Apaches expected more of a challenge than they got against Frasier Valley College in Vancouver, B.C., but wound up cruising to a 103-75 win in the first of three games in a tournament which was played Friday at Phoenix College.

“They’re ranked sixth in the whole nation of Canada and they’re a 4-year school and have won a lot of games, so we thought they’d be a little better,” Cochise head coach Jerry Carrillo said. “But our guys responded really well.”

Cochise led 55-38 at the half and pushed its lead to as much as 30 in the second half.

Tevin Caldwell led the Apaches with 19 points and seven rebounds and Joe Bell Austin and Jerry Duckworth had 16 points apiece with Duckworth adding four 3-pointers on six tries.

Demeco Blue scored 15 points and Jordan Russell added 11.

The Apaches, 12-1 on the season, ran their winning streak to 11 games, and were looking to push it to 12 Saturday against Westwind Prep International before closing the tournament on Sunday against Bismarck State from North Dakota, which leads the nation in scoring.

The Cochise College women, playing in a tournament at Pima College in Tucson, had little trouble with their Canadian foe, routing Sait College from Alberta 70-50 Friday.

Johnishia Welles had 27 points, Yvonte Neal had 13 and Ashley Mitchell 10 for the Apaches, who improved to 12-1 on the season.

Cochise won despite playing only eight players due to a flu bug that has stricken the team. Also, center Tianna Brown sat the game out, suspended for the game after her elbow caught a Snow College player in the head during Cochise’s win on Thursday.