Gila Monsters Advance to Elite Eight With 62–36 Win Over Southwestern Illinois

LAKE CHARLES, La. — Eastern Arizona College opened its national tournament run with a strong 62 to 36 win over Southwestern Illinois on Thursday afternoon in the Sweet 16 round of the NJCAA Division I Championship at Townsley Law Arena.

The Gila Monsters controlled the pace early and never trailed, holding SWIC to 20 percent shooting from the field and only four points in the paint. EAC steadily pulled away with quarter‑by‑quarter scoring advantages of 10 to 7, 18 to 12, 13 to 6, and 21 to 11.

Danaeja Romero- Ah Sam led all scorers with 19 points on 7 of 17 shooting, including five three pointers. Esmeralda Enriquez added 14 points and went 5 for 5 at the free throw line. Stephany Goncalves and Trinity Carmouche each finished with eight points, helping EAC shoot 40 percent from the floor and 38 percent from three.

Eanae Dagons and Navae Guidry anchored the rebounding effort with seven boards each as Eastern Arizona posted a 41 to 32 advantage on the glass. The Gila Monsters also forced 19 turnovers and collected 11 steals, turning those opportunities into 12 points.

With the win, Eastern Arizona advances to the Elite Eight and will play again on Saturday, March 28 at 12:15 p.m. CT and 10:15 a.m. MST. The opponent will be the winner of Southern Idaho and Dodge City.

Fans can watch the game live on ESPN+ or follow live stats on the NJCAA Championship website.