SIGNAL PEAK — The "wow" factor in Saturday's epic double-overtime battle between the Central Arizona College and Eastern Arizona men's basketball teams rose to a level that is rarely reached.

The Vaqueros went on a wild ride in their 104-98 victory at the George Young Activity Center that snapped a three-game losing streak.

CAC was down to six players for the second straight game. The Vaqueros were facing a team that had beaten them by 23 points in their previous meeting and was on a four-game winning streak.

None of that mattered. Nor did seeing six-point leads vanish in regulation and the first overtime.

Competing with all their might, the Vaqueros found a way to win.

"It's the type of game the players will never forget, and the circumstances make it that much more memorable," CAC coach JD Pollock said. "Everybody cared about winning for each other and nothing else, and that's what makes this the best win of the year."

Central (11-15, 7-11 Arizona Community College Athletic Conference) scored 42 points in the extra sessions, 23 in the second overtime. The Vaqueros went 9 for 11 from the field and 24 for 26 from the line in OT.

Lanerryl Johnson scored 33 points, and three of his CAC teammates had double-doubles — Deshawn Jones with 23 points and 11 rebounds, Malik Thames with 16 and 12 and Nathaniel Wright with 10 and 15.

Wright was playing with a bandaged middle finger on his shooting hand. He had to make a trip to the emergency room Friday night after the finger was smashed by a car door. He never considered missing the game, Pollock said.

Vincentas Aleksandravicius scored 20 points, a personal season best. Demario Hall provided solid floor leadership during his extended minutes.

"They showed what they're made of and what they can be," Pollock said. "I've never been prouder of them."

Central withstood a a 46-point effort by D'Juan Miller, who went 6 for 13 on three-pointers and shot 17 of 30 overall. Miller forced the second overtime when he went coast to coast for an uncontested layup at the buzzer after Eastern inbounded with 4.3 seconds left.

Taylor Stafford had 23 points for the Gila Monsters (17-9, 11-7), who forced the first overtime after trailing 60-54 with 2:44 remaining in regulation and the second after being down 76-70 with 1:08 left.

Regulation ended in a 62-62 tie after Thames made two free throws with 10.4 seconds left.

Behind by seven points with 14:13 to play, the Vaqueros took a 55-52 lead on Aleksandravicius' three-point play with 4:51 left – the eighth of the game's 10 lead changes. Aleksandravicius hit a three-pointer on CAC's next possession for a 58-52 lead, and two free throws by Jones made it 60-54.

Miller scored Eastern's final eight points in regulation, converting a three-point play, making a three-pointer and scoring off a turnover to put the Gila Monsters up 62-60 with 1:18 remaining.

The Vaqueros led by six points on three occasions in the first overtime — at 72-66 on two free throws by Jones with 2:02 left, 74-68 on Wright's spinner from the lane with 1:22 remaining and 76-70 on two free throws by Wright.

Central began the second overtime with an 8-0 run to snap an 81-81 tie, getting two baskets apiece from Jones and Johnson. The margin grew to 10 points at 93-83 when Thames made two free throws with 2:09 left.

After Stafford's four-point play cut the CAC lead to 101-98 with 1:04 remaining, Eastern missed its final four shots, one due to a block by Jones.

Johnson's jumper from the lane with 34.6 seconds to play gave the Vaqueros a 103-98 cushion.

Tyler Chaisson had 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Jeremiah Harris scored 11 points for the Gila Monsters.

CAC, which entered tied with Cochise for the fourth and final Region 1 Division I playoff berth, surpassed 100 points for the first time this season playing in its first overtime game of the year.