Phoenix College men's basketball has gotten off to a strong start; ending the early season independent games with a 5-1 record. Those six games were comprised of NAIA JV teams and division one junior colleges. The Bears have gotten their 5 wins in a multitude of ways; from dominant 40 minutes of play, to come from behind wins, to winning in the first and holding on the second half.
"We're still trying to find out who we're going to be." Head Coach Duane Eason said. "We've got a long season ahead of us. I'm not sure we'll have it figured out before February."
GCU JV came to the Bear's Den for the season opener. PC gave their fans plenty to cheer about, as they dominated their opponents for 40 minutes; and capturing the victory 92-64. Freshmen point guard Cesar Saenz (22 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists) and freshmen shooting guard Jamar Brown (24 points, 6 three pointers and 9 rebounds) led the way.
The team headed to Las Vegas to compete in the CSN Tip Off Showcase; taking on College of Southern Nevada and, at the time, #24 Western Wyoming. The Bears were down the majority of the game to CSN, before making a late run in the second half, and pulling out a tight 69-66 win. Again, Saenz (19 points and 10 rebounds) and Brown (16 points, 4 three pointers) were the top performers for the bears.
Game two did not end the same way for the Bears, as #24 Western Wyoming jumped out to an early 10-0 lead, in the first five minutes of the game. Despite a mid-second half run, that saw the PC cut the lead to 61-62, they wouldn't get any closer. Fouling and inconsistent offensive execution cost them, and ended in 89-97 loss. Freshmen point guard Michael Rogers (27 points, 5 assists, 5 steals) and Brown (22 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals) carried the team.
The Bears returned home for the 1st annual Bears Tip-Off Showcase; where they would take on ACU JV, CSN and Community Christian.
The event also celebrated the memory of the late Dr. Noshin Rafieei. Coach Eason created the Dr. Noshin Rafieei PRIDE Scholarship, an award for the men's basketball player that best exemplified the characteristics the former PC sociology professor embodied. Freshmen forward Ruben Cazares (Cholla HS, Tucson, AZ) was selected as the first annual award winner; which was presented between the men's and women's games on Friday, November 12th.
The Bears opened up their Tip-Off Showcase with a 92-69 win over Arizona Christian JV. PC came out firing on all cylinders in the first half, racking up 54 points in the first 20 minutes. The second half was rocky for the Bears, but they closed it out strong for the victory. Freshmen Saenz (17 points, 5 rebounds) and Brown (16 points, 9 rebounds and 4 steals) led the way.
Saturday night saw the rematch between PC and CSN from the previous weekend. This game saw the two schools switch role from their last match up. The Bears took a commanding 21-point lead, 42-21 into the half. The Coyotes fought back in the second half; getting as close as 2 points. However, the Bears refused to relinquish the lead, and held on for the for the victory; 71-66. Freshmen guards Michael Rogers (22 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists) and Cesar Saenz (21 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists) were the top performers.
The Bears closed out the event on Sunday with a strong 92-59 win. PC put together two strong halves and all but 1 Bear scored in the game; including 4 scoring in double figures. Jamar Brown (20 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals) and sophomore forward Kyle Harris (16 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 steals) led the way.
The Bears open up ACCAC play this week, with a home game Tuesday, November 17th against South Mountain CC, 7:30pm and Saturday, November 20th at Chandler-Gilbert CC, 2:00pm.
