CMC Women Continue to Roll, Defeat Chaffey 71–54

The Copper Mountain College women's basketball team continued its dominant run through the Inland Empire Athletic Conference with a 71–54 victory over Chaffey College on Wednesday night.

The Chaffey Panthers showed no intimidation against the 16th-ranked Fighting Cacti, matching Copper Mountain basket for basket throughout a competitive first quarter. CMC held a narrow 18–14 advantage at the end of the opening period before asserting control the rest of the way.

From that point on, it was all Copper Mountain. The Fighting Cacti turned up the defensive pressure and outscored Chaffey 53–40 over the final three quarters, using their signature full-court defense to dictate the pace of the game. CMC's relentless pressure forced Chaffey into 22 turnovers, creating scoring opportunities throughout the night.

While the defense set the tone, the deciding factor came on the offensive glass. Copper Mountain dominated the boards, converting their extra possessions into 31 second-chance points and wearing down the Panthers as the game progressed.

Gia McFadden led the way for the Cacti with a monster performance, pouring in 27 points while pulling down 12 rebounds. Mailana Mattos was also outstanding, recording a double-double of her own with 16 points and 12 rebounds to help control the paint on both ends of the floor.

With the win, Copper Mountain continues to build momentum in IEAC play. The Fighting Cacti will stay on the road this Saturday as they travel to Barstow, CA to take on Barstow College at 1:00 p.m.