Mesa Junior College (6-2, 5-0) is once again looking like a dominant team this season in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC) - winning their last 5 games on the season and currently standing in first place in the conference with an undefeated 5-0 record.
Mesa is currently tied for first place in the conference with Arizona Western (9-2, 5-0).
Led by Arizona legendary head coach Sam Ballard and his experienced staff, the Thunderbirds have a very talented lineup this season and are playing their usual Ballard brand of basketball - tough defense and hard work. Led by the overall play this season of gifted 6-foot sophomore point guard Shy McClelland, 6-foot-6 sophomore forward Camyn Boone (Grand Canyon University transfer), 6-foot-3 sophomore guard Sami Bzai (Nebraska-Kearney transfer) and 6-foot-2 sophomore guard Tre Ogles, this team looks very tough to beat and is putting up big scoring numbers this season.
While unusual for past teams coached by Sam Ballard, this team is big-time offensively and has exploded on numerous occassions already this season in the box score. Mesa has scored 80+ points in every game this season except for one - a 53-52 loss to Snow College. Mesa has actually posted 95 big points in a loss to top-ranked national program Indian Hills JC (IA) earlier this season and on the road.
On Tuesday evening on the road at South Mountain JC, Mesa won their 5th game in a row in the conference - blowing out SMCC on their home floor and posting 94 points in a 94-70 victory.
Mesa, who led the entire game, received a game-high 25 points and 5 assists from Shy McClelland, and also 19 points from Sami Bzai and Tre Ogles, while Camyn Boone posted 17 points and 7 rebounds in the win.
Boone was also selected as the conference's Division-I Player of the Week for his performance in two Mesa wins last week.
Mesa will next face a talented Central Arizona JC team next week on Wednesday on the road, in what should be one of the most exciting games of the season.
Watch out for this Mesa team as we continue throughout the 2013-2014 ACCAC junior college season, as this team looks good enough to win it all.
