MESA, AZ - Once again playing about as tough a schedule as head coach Sam Ballard can find, the Mesa men's basketball team has released its 2014-15 scheduled, highlighted by the annual Fiesta Bowl Junior College Shootout. The season will mark Mesa's 50th in men's basketball.
The Fiesta Bowl tournament, which MCC won for the second time in four years last season, will again feature eight strong teams. The event, which runs from Dec. 27-29, is generally considered to be the top regular-season NJCAA tournament in the country.
New for 2014-15 will be Ranger (Texas) and Midland (Texas). They will join Monroe (NY), Salt Lake, Williston (ND) State, San Bernardino Valley and Central Arizona.
For the fifth consecutive year, the Fiesta Bowl and Mesa Community College team up to present the Fiesta Bowl Junior College Shootout presented by Mesa Community College. Eight teams from around the country will compete in a three-day double elimination tournament.
The Mesa Shootout began as a community service project in 1983. It was developed by former MCC basketball coach Tom Bennett along with Jim Huckeba and the Rev. Russ Durler of the Mesa West Rotary Club. The first shootout was in 1984 with Dixie College of Utah winning the championship, and since then the tournament has hosted more than 70 teams from 26 states and Canada, bringing thousands of players and fans to the Valley of the Sun.
In 2009, the Fiesta Bowl joined with Mesa Community College and Coach Sam Ballard and his staff, to continue this outstanding showcase of talent and continue to build this excellent East Valley event.
This event begins Saturday, December 27, 2014 with games every two hours starting at 2:00 p.m. MST @ Mesa Community College (Theo Heap Gymnasium) - located at 1833 West Southern Avenue, Mesa, AZ 85202
Admission
$15 per day or $35 tournament pass
