YUMA, Ariz. – The Arizona Western Matadors Men's Basketball team (23-8) saw its season come to an end in the Region I Final, losing 66-63 to the No. 17 ranked Eastern Arizona Gila Monsters (29-3) on Saturday evening in Thatcher, Ariz., at Guitteau Gymnasium.  

Edwin Suarez had 19 points and 13 rebounds, and Cam Atkinson added 19 points and went 3-for-5 from the three-point line, hitting all three of Arizona Western's made three-pointers.

The Matadors fell behind by six early in the first half as Eastern Arizona jumped out to an 8-2 lead before the Matadors got going offensively, eventually taking a 19-17 lead on a Boubacar Diatta made jumper. The Gila Monsters regained control and built a 27-21 lea,d but the Matadors were able to cut into the deficit, going into the locker room at the break trailing 33-29.

Eastern Arizona had their largest lead of the game midway through the second half, taking a 52-42 lead with just under 10 minutes remaining. The Matadors slowly chipped away, getting to within five points on a Suarez layup with 3:05 to go. Atkinson hit his third made three of the night to cut the deficit to two points at 62-60 with just under two minutes to play. Atkinson brought the Matadors to within a point with a mid-range jumper with 12 seconds left, and the Matadors had the ball down three but missed a three-point attempt at the buzzer to end the game.

Kaleb Myers was the third Matador in double-figures, scoring 10 points and Diatta scored eight points off the bench in the loss.