LAKE CHARLES, La. -- The No. 17 seeded Arizona Western College Matadors women's basketball team (21-11) saw its season come to an end with an 88-81 loss to No. 16 seeded New Mexico Junior College in the first round of the 2026 NJCAA DI Women's Basketball Championship on Tuesday morning at Townsley Arena in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Despite five Matadors finishing in double figures and a 48.5-percent shooting clip from three-point range, 20 turnovers and a lopsided free throw disparity proved too much to overcome. The game was a rematch from an early regular season showdown in which Arizona Western defeated NMJC 83-81 in OT on November 6th, 2025. 

Kimora Jenkins led the Matadors with 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting, connecting on six of her nine attempts from beyond the arc. Mable Doumbia flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 11 points, a game-high 15 rebounds, and nine assists in 36 minutes, while Chen Pan added 18 points on 4-of-9 three-point shooting with three assists and two steals.

The Thunderbirds jumped out to a 2-6 lead in the opening minutes before the Matadors clawed back. Jessica Liena hit a pair of free throws and Marta Vieira knocked down a three-pointer to pull Arizona Western within one at 7-8, but a Jada Graves three pushed the NMJC lead to 7-11. Pan gave the Matadors their first lead of the game at 14-13 on a three-pointer with 3:10 remaining in the first, but the Thunderbirds closed the quarter on a 7-0 run, capped by a Madison Wilson three at the buzzer, to take a 20-14 lead into the second. Vieira sparked the Matadors' second-quarter comeback, hitting a three to give Arizona Western its first lead of the period at 21-20. New Mexico Junior College answered with a 13-5 run to push its lead to 34-26 following a Kaycee Steinke three-pointer with 3:13 left in the half, but the Matadors closed on an 8-0 run -- punctuated by a Vieira three-pointer with 25 seconds left -- to head into the locker room tied at 34-34.

The third quarter was a back-and-forth battle featuring multiple ties and lead changes. Jenkins heated up, draining a pair of three-pointers to keep the Matadors within striking distance, while Doumbia and Pan also found the basket to help Arizona Western maintain a narrow edge. A Pan three-pointer gave the Matadors their largest lead of the game at 53-50 with 3:09 left in the third, but the Thunderbirds fought back, and an Azaleeah Oloapu layup with 40 seconds remaining sent NMJC into the fourth with a slim 57-56 advantage. The Thunderbirds seized control in the final quarter, opening on a Wilson three to push ahead 60-56. After the Matadors pulled within one at 63-64 on a Doumbia three, Graves converted four straight free throws and Luisa Amaral delivered back-to-back buckets -- a three-pointer and a layup in a span of 14 seconds -- to extend the NMJC lead to 74-66 with 4:04 remaining. The Matadors refused to go quietly, unleashing a barrage of three-pointers from Garance Soulas, Jenkins, Vieira, and Pan to cut the deficit to 81-86 with eight seconds left, but Graves sealed the win from the free throw line, going a perfect 12-for-12 from the stripe in the fourth quarter to hold off the rally.

Vieira added 14 points off the bench on 5-of-8 shooting, including 4-of-6 from three-point range, while Soulas contributed 12 points and three assists. As a team, the Matadors knocked down 16 three-pointers, but 20 turnovers that led to 21 NMJC points and a 23-7 free throw attempt disparity in favor of the Thunderbirds proved to be the difference in the loss.

New Mexico Junior College's season continues with a showdown versus No.1 seeded Butler on Thursday. The Lady  Matadors finish their 2025-26 season with a 21-11 overall record and a 12-3 mark in ACCAC conference play after capturing the Region I Championship.