By Jon Johnson
THATCHER – The Eastern Arizona College Lady Gila Monsters pulled away from the Cochise College Apaches in the second half on Saturday to advance to the Region 1 Division 1 Championship with a 60-42 victory.
EAC (13-4 conference, 24-6 overall) has won its last six games in a row. The Gila Monsters hope lucky number seven will be against the College of Southern Nevada at home on Wednesday for the Region 1 Championship. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and is scheduled as a blackout, with fans encouraged to wear black clothing. The winner will advance to the NJCAA Division 1 National Tournament.
Eanae Dagons had a standout game against Cochise, hitting a game-high 24 points off 9-17 shooting and 4-4 from the free-throw line.
EAC outrebounded Cochise (37-33) behind the efforts of players such as Millie Pearson, who hauled down 10 rebounds and had 5 blocks, and Ashlynn Chlarson, who finished with 8 rebounds and 6 points.
Cochise was led by Jessie Joaquim with 13 points and Karolina Padilla with 11.
The game was close early, with EAC taking a 24-21 lead at the half. However, the team came out on fire in the second half and quickly amassed a double-digit lead, which only increased as the game continued.
