Brian Peabody stood atop a ladder at Aztec Gym. He held a basketball net in his right hand and gripped the netless rim with the other. The ultra-intense coach cracked a rare smile while his players, assistants and their supporters celebrated on the floor below.
Michael Lev is a senior writer/columnist for the Arizona Daily Star, Tucson.com and The Wildcaster.
It was a perfect moment to cap a perfect season — so far — for the Pima Community College men’s basketball team. Pima defeated Chandler-Gilbert 80-73 Friday night to secure its second consecutive Region I, Division II championship and an automatic berth in the NJCAA Division II National Tournament. It begins March 17 in Danville, Illinois.
How the Aztecs got to 32-0 over a tense 40 minutes Friday was delightfully imperfect. Pima, which has an average winning margin of 36.2 points, led by only two at halftime. It was just the eighth time the Aztecs held a single-digit lead at the break. They haven’t trailed at halftime all season.
With 14:21 to play, they faced a six-point deficit. As the No. 1-ranked team in the nation, Pima surely would have received one of the four at-large berths into the national tournament even with a loss. But no one wanted to enter the tournament through the backdoor.
Pima celebrates with the championship plaque after dropping Chandler-Gilbert 80-73 in the Region I, Division II playoff final in Tucson on Friday, March 7, 2025.
“Two things I thought about coming into this game,” said sophomore big man Gabe Oldham, named the Region I, Division II MVP after notching 22 points and 10 rebounds. “It was the last home game for me; I spent two years here, (so) my last time playing in Arizona. And then the second thing was, there was not a chance I’m letting Chandler-Gilbert cut my net in my gym.”
Oldham and his teammates made sure that wouldn’t happen. They went on a 15-3 run to seize a 51-45 lead with 10:13 remaining. After a Coyotes 3-pointer made it 51-48, the Aztecs went on another run. A flurry of fastbreaks, and-ones and 3-point bombs put Pima ahead 67-50 with 6:38 left.
They still had to sweat out the ending and execute in the final minutes. It was perfect preparation for what’s to come.
“I really think this game helped us a lot,” said sophomore guard Max Majerle, who had 15 points and made four of Pima’s six 3-pointers while his father, former NBA star Dan Majerle, watched nervously from the balcony.
“We haven’t gotten tested like this the whole year, and this is how every game is gonna be in the tournament. So a huge thanks to Chandler-Gilbert for coming out here and playing hard, because we needed that.”
Chandler-Gilbert guard Jayven Price (5) gets an armful of Pima guard Max Majerle (2) trying to defend his drive in the second half of the Region I, Division II playoff final in Tucson on Friday, March 7, 2025.
Pima — the highest-scoring team in NJCAA Division II at 103.7 points per game — scored fewer than 80 points only two times during the regular season. Both games were against Chandler-Gilbert, which regularly worked the shot clock into single digits Friday to try slow the game down. The Coyotes mostly succeeded.
“We’re trying to score 150, and they’re trying to score 70; that’s just the way they play,” Peabody said. “Not saying one’s right or wrong. We’re trying to get them to speed up. They’re well-coached. It’s hard.”
The Aztecs weren’t knocking down shots the way they normally do. They entered Friday shooting 38.2% from 3-point range; they made only 6 of 22 (27.3%) vs. the Coyotes.
Sophomore point guard Cohenj Gonzales — the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Division II Player of the Year — had an off game, at least by his standards. He went 1 of 7 in the first half with zero assists and two turnovers. He finished with 13 points, well below his season average of 18.6 entering Friday.
Pima guard Cohenj Gonzales (1) looks for a target after reeling in an inbound pass over Chandler-Gilbert guard Jayven Price (5) in the second half of the Region I, Division II playoff final in Tucson on Friday, March 7, 2025.
If you can win when your best player isn’t at his best, that bodes well for a tournament run. Pima has never won a national championship in men’s basketball. The Aztecs were runners-up in 2018.
“Other guys had to step up,” Peabody said. “Gabe stepped up. Max Majerle played really well. Kota (Benson) played well. That’s the best thing about this team. I got nine guys that can play, and it’s not always the same guy.
“You never know who it’s gonna be, and that’s what makes us dangerous.”
No one had a bigger influence on Friday’s outcome than Oldham. He made 10 of 11 shots. He also led the team in primal screams and bicep flexes.
Don’t be fooled, though. Oldham is the most mature player on the team, per Peabody.
“He’s more mature than I am, to be honest with you,” Peabody said. “There were huddles where I wouldn’t even go in and he was running (them). That’s what he brings to the table. He brings all of our guys close together.
Pima center Gabe Oldham (32) picks up a foul as he gets hipped by Chandler-Gilbert guard Teagan Mullowney (0) pulling in a pass in the first half of the Region I, Division II playoff final in Tucson on March 7, 2025.
“He was a rock down the stretch — saying all the right things, doing all the right things. He’s basically a coach on the floor, and you don’t get those guys very often.”
Oldham, who’s from Spanish Fork, Utah, actually was a coach after returning from his post-high school LDS mission. He coached a prep team, a fifth-grade team and a third-grade team. He also spent time as a referee before coming to Pima. So he’s seen the game from all perspectives.
“I’m 22 years old. I’m an old fart,” Oldham said with a chuckle. “Not compared to everyone. Definitely not Peabody. He’s the oldest fart we know. I’m surprised he hasn’t turned into dust yet.”
Oldham laughed again. He continued.
“I’ve had a lot of life experience relative to the team,” Oldham said. “I think that’s just helped me to put stuff in perspective.”
Peabody struggled to put Pima’s 32-0 record into the proper context. The Aztecs’ previous high mark for wins was 31, set in 2017-18. That team lost five games.
Pima coach Brian Peabody brandishes the remains of the net as the Aztecs went to 32-0 with their 80-73 win over Chandler-Gilbert in the Region I, Division II playoff final in Tucson on Friday, March 7, 2025.
Peabody knew exactly how he felt after the final buzzer.
“It was definitely a relief,” he said. “It was a burden on my shoulders. The pressure was getting to me a little bit. I’m glad it’s over with.”
Peabody couldn’t help but smile, though. His team had accomplished something no one else has, at least not at Pima. It passed another test, maybe the hardest one all season.
The image of Peabody beaming atop the ladder while clutching the net — the spoil of victory — was indelible. Oldham saw it, but he couldn’t believe it.
“That man don’t smile,” he said. “I bet on Monday he’ll be back yelling at me.”
