Angel Addleman scored a game-high 20 points as the Pima Community College women’s basketball team rallied for a 69-66 victory over North Central Missouri College in the first round of the NJCAA Division II National Tournament on Tuesday in Port Huron, Michigan.
The No. 7-seeded Aztecs (26-7) advanced to face No. 2-seeded CCBC Essex at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
With her team trailing 64-63 with less than 90 seconds to play, Addleman (Palo Verde High School) made a layup and a pair of free throws to give Pima a 67-64 lead. After two free throws by the Pirates, Addleman scored again with 20.2 seconds left. NCMC missed a would-be tying 3-pointer at the buzzer.
“We had a rough start,” Addleman said, via Pima Athletics. “But we just kept chipping away, and that’s what we told each other in the huddle ... ‘We got to get defensive stops.’ ”
Torrance Begay had a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Matehya Aberle had 14 points and five boards. Luisa Chavez had 12 points and six rebounds.
Pima trailed 41-34 at halftime and 54-48 entering the fourth quarter.
“I’m real proud of the kids because any team at nationals is going to be good,” said Aztecs coach Todd Holthaus, who notched his 500th career victory, including 340 at Pima.
“Seeding is a number; it doesn’t really reflect how good a team is. North Central Missouri was sophomore-laden with kids who had been at nationals last year. This is something that they’re used to and ready for, and they gave us everything they could in the first half.
“They hit six 3-pointers, it got us behind, but you know what? The personality of this team came through in the end. That’s all I asked them for; just keeping playing defense, make it tough on them.”
Number one Indiana Hoosiers lost to number eight Miami Hurricanes 70-68 in round two of the women's NCAA tournament.
