Pima ends with consolation title

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March 21, 2010

BY JOHN DUBOIS The Commercial-News Sun Mar 21, 2010, 01:14 AM CDT

DANVILLE — The flight back to Tucson, Ariz., will probably seem a little shorter for Pima College after the Aztecs took the NJCAA National Tournament Consolation Championship with a 59-52 victory over the St. Clair Skippers.

“It really does mean a lot to us to win this game,” Aztec Warren Baker said. “This was the first time our school ever made the national tournament and to finish in the top seven in the country is a big accomplishment for us.”

The game featured multiple runs by each team with the Skippers getting things started with a 12-2 run which put them up 12-4. Following a 3 by Baker, the Aztecs tied the score at 14-14, and moments later went on a 12-2 run of their own to go up 26-21.

St. Clair’s Eric Mack, Jr. would lead all first half scorers, putting up 10 of his team high 12 points, but Pima would still go to the half up 35-28. The Aztecs would hold the Skippers scoreless for the first seven minutes, 30 seconds of the second half, which fueled a 16-4 run to make the score 51-32 with 8:30 to go.

“The second half has been our time of the game most of this season,” said Pima coach Karl Pieroway. “We come out and show a lot of energy and that was the key to the run today.”

The Skippers switched their defense to a 1-3-1 zone and started trapping in the half court, which fueled a 20-4 run to get within 55-52 with 90 seconds remaining, but they weren’t able to get any closer.

“Most of the season, like 95 percent of it, we played man to man,” said St Clair coach Dale Vos. “Changing the defense jump-started us from a playing hard standpoint. Ultimately, they just played harder than us for longer portions of the game.”

“We knew they would make a run,” Baker said. “We couldn’t adjust fast enough to the 1-3-1, but knew we would have to attack it and that’s what we were able to do at the end of the game.”

“I knew our guys had the heart to pull this one out,” Pieroway said. “I really do think it was a big difference to win this game. It shows our guys that they could have competed on the other side of the bracket.”

Baker led the way with 15 points with Daniel Conorque adding 12 and Jeremy Hardin 11. Conorque added 12 rebounds and Hardin 10.

Both teams enjoyed their first visits to Danville.

“This was a new experience and something I won’t ever forget,” Baker said. “It was great to play against all these teams and was a great moment.”

“When you get down to it, a tournament is usually like any other but this one is special,” Vos said. “What a great experience. The hospitality, the video feeds, all the extra stuff, what a terrific situation. I couldn’t have imagined coming here with a better team.

“I love these guys as people and as players. Our sophomores won 47 games total in their time at St. Clair and that’s something we can build on as a program.”

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Pima ends with consolation title

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