EAC Women's Basketball Make History

Casper, Wyoming hosted an intense clash as the #20 Eastern Arizona College Lady Monsters took on #13 Pearl River in the opening game of the NJCAA DI National Women's Basketball Tournament on Tuesday, March 26th.

Led by sophomores Elva Chavez and Gracie Sorensen, each scoring 16 points, the Lady Monsters secured a solid 56-45 victory over Pearl River, advancing to the next round to face #4 Collins College. In a tight matchup, Eastern Arizona College's women's basketball team narrowly defeated Collins with a final score of 61-60, led by Vitoria Santana with 21 points and 6 assists, and Gracie Sorensen with 14 rebounds.

The Lady Monsters then faced #5 Gulf Coast State College in the Quarterfinals, where they triumphed with a score of 67-53. Gracie Sorensen led with 20 points, Vitoria Santana contributed 11 rebounds and 15 points, and Laini Dahlin added 16 points, securing their spot in the Final Four.

Despite putting up a strong fight, the Lady Monsters fell short against #1 undefeated Hutchinson Community College, ending their journey in the tournament. Nevertheless, they made history as the first EAC women's basketball team to win two games at the National Tournament, finishing the season with a commendable 30-6 record.

Head Coach Angelica de Paulo received the Alberta Lee Cox Sportsmanship award, and sophomore guard Laini Dahlin was named to the National All-Tournament team, recognizing her exceptional performance throughout the tournament.