Gila Monsters set up title clash with New Mexico Junior College on Tuesday, starting at 3 p.m.
Staff Reports
LAKE CHARLES, La. — Eastern Arizona College’s women’s basketball team delivered a defensive masterclass Monday night, smothering No. 6 seed Trinity Valley Community College 56-29 in the NJCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship semifinals at Townsley Law Arena.
The second-seeded Gila Monsters (now 32-2) held the Cardinals (31-4) to a season-low 29 points and just 19.6 percent shooting from the field (11-of-56), including 2-of-19 from beyond the arc. Trinity Valley also committed 20 turnovers as EAC forced 13 steals and dominated the glass 53-33, including 20 offensive rebounds. The Monsters outscored Trinity Valley 21-6 in the fourth quarter to pull away after a back-and-forth third.
EAC jumped out to a 6-0 lead as Trinity Valley missed its first eight shots and scored just two points in the opening quarter. The Cardinals briefly cut the deficit to four points late in the second (20-16), but Esmeralda Enriquez answered with back-to-back three-pointers. Trinity Valley trimmed it to 23-21 early in the third on a Taylor Day-Davis triple, only for Enriquez to respond again from deep while the Monsters’ pressure defense created six straight turnovers. Danaeja Romero-Ah Sam added two clutch threes midway through the fourth to extend the lead to 48-27 and ice the game.
Top Performers for EAC
- Esmeralda Enriquez: 18 points — the game’s leading scorer and the catalyst on both ends.
- Eanae Dagons: 12 points, 4 steals — provided energy and disruption in the backcourt.
- Navae Guidry: 10 points, 14 rebounds — owned the glass and controlled the paint.
- Trinity Alex-Mayer (off the bench): 10 rebounds — added physicality and second-chance opportunities.
No Trinity Valley player reached double figures in points. Malaya Jones led the Cardinals with 6 points, while Taylor Day-Davis had 8.
EAC head coach Angelica de Paulo called the performance a complete team effort, crediting the defensive focus that has now limited three straight national tournament opponents to 56 points or fewer. This marks the deepest run in EAC women’s basketball history.
Championship Preview: EAC vs. New Mexico Junior College — Tuesday, March 31
The Gila Monsters will face 16th-seeded New Mexico Junior College (NMJC) in the national championship game Tuesday at 3 p.m. Arizona time (5 p.m. CDT) on ESPNU. NMJC advanced with a 58-53 semifinal victory over Clarendon College earlier Monday.
NMJC enters as one of the tournament’s biggest Cinderella stories. The Thunderbirds already stunned top-seeded Butler Community College in overtime in the Round of 16 and have shown remarkable resilience as a low seed, playing a gritty, up-tempo style. Key contributors for NMJC include standout guard Jada Graves, who has been instrumental in their upset run.
EAC, meanwhile, boasts one of the nation’s most stifling defenses and has won 10 straight games since a district-final loss. The Monsters’ length, rebounding dominance, and ability to force turnovers will be tested against NMJC’s speed and confidence. EAC is seeking its first national title in program history; NMJC is chasing its first championship since joining the NJCAA Division I ranks.
Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. Arizona time inside Townsley Law Arena in Lake Charles. The game will be broadcast live on ESPNU and ESPN+.
Both teams have already made history this March — now only one will leave Louisiana as national champions.
