Men’s basketball takes E. Utah into OT in District 1 championship
Jeff Moses
The Mesa Community College Thunderbirds were confident going into their March 9 showdown against the College of Eastern Utah Golden Eagles. Having only narrowly lost to defending national champion Salt Lake City in a 68-63 game and playing in “at least 10” close games, according the Head Coach Sam Ballard, the Thunderbirds knew if it came down to the wire, they had a fair chance at defeating the Golden Eagles.
The Thunderbirds and Golden Eagles were tied at 28 points going into the second half. This became a trend that continued to a 57-point tie at the end of regulation.
The Thunderbirds were led by ACCAC player of the year Stephen Rogers and his impressive 27-point, seven rebound performance.
Fellow teammate, Eric Hunt, contributed with 12 points and nine rebounds.
Even with the stellar performances of Rogers and Hunt, it wasn’t enough as the Thunderbirds lost 65-64.
Even with the loss, Ballard felt his team exceeded the expectations of everyone. He even compared them to the NBA dynasty San Antonio Spurs, for their own court intelligence.
“If life is all about making memories, we got a bunch of good ones,” said Ballard when he summed up the season.
