Coach Stephenson's ladies avenge earlier road loss in big fashion

What a difference a changing of the calendar year makes for Coach Stephenson and her Lady T'birds. 

In their last meeting with Coach Todd Holthaus and the #12 Lady Aztecs of Pima on December 10, 2011, the Lady Thunderbirds could not muster up enough offense in an overtime period to shake the bugaboo that is their DII rival of the past three seasons.  Mesa would lose 77-70 in the extra stanza. 

Wednesday night, February 8 at Theo Heap Gym would be much different. 

Mesa took it to the Lady Aztecs from wire to wire, leading by 23 at halftime and cruising by that same margin, 65-42, to move to 11-4 in the ACCAC and 18-6 overall.

Mesa is alone in the 1-seed by two games over Pima with just five regular season games left on the slate. 

Heroes aplenty for the #19 T'Birds in this one, led by the monster night from Alli Gloyd on the glass.  Gloyd's 22 rebounds combined with 13 points was too much for the taller Lady Aztecs.  Gloyd's athleticism and determination illustrated how sometimes size isn't the only difference. 

Jade Wilson dominated down low as well, scoring 12 points, assisting on two, blocking two, and stealing two more. 

Kalasia Green was on fire in the first half, where she scored all 12 of her points.  Green also grabbed eight boards and had two steals. 

Kourtni Thomas had her best game in a Mesa uniform, hitting on four of seven from the floor, three of five from three, and scored 11. 

With control of their own destiny from here on out, the Region I Champion will most likely have to go through the Theo Heap Gym doors. 

If things keep going Coach Stephenson's way in 2012, it might just as well be her ladies as the Region I Division II representative in East Peoria, Illinois come March 20.