Ed Petruska-Contributing Writer/Pinal Central

SIGNAL PEAK — Having already clinched the women's basketball Arizona Community College Athletic Conference championship and a berth in the March 6 Division I Region 1 title game, the only incentive for Central Arizona College in Wednesday night's game was to keep performing at a high level.

The eighth-ranked Vaqueras did just that with an 89-50 thumping of Phoenix College at the George Young Activity Center.

"It was a fun, energetic game," CAC coach Denise Cardenas said. "We're not where I want us yet, but we had a presence about us tonight and I was pleased with that."

Mikayla Pippin — the reigning ACCAC Division I player of the week — made six 3-pointers and scored 32 points for the Vaqueras (25-3, 20-0 conference). Also reaching double figures for Central were Ayanna Clark with 14 points, Denali Hughes with 12 and Alexia Marsh with 10.

The Vaqueras led 26-9 after one quarter, 56-19 at halftime and 72-35 heading into the final period. Their largest lead of the night was 41 points.

Central has won 14 straight since a Dec. 21 loss to Utah State Eastern on a neutral court in Las Vegas. The average margin of victory for the Vaqueras in ACCAC play coming in was 24.7 points.

"We don't allow slacking," Cardenas said. "We work all year to get them to play hard every tick of the clock. We can't pull off the gas now."

The 39-point margin of defeat was the worst of the season for Division II Phoenix (9-19, 9-11 ACCAC), surpassing a 33-point loss (80-47) to Central on Jan. 11.

The Vaqueras opened the game with a 9-0 run before Phoenix made its only basket of the first quarter — a 3-pointer by Andrea Munoz with 5:48 remaining. The Bears went 1 for 14 from the field in the period.

CAC outscored Phoenix 30-10 in the second quarter, making 14 of 27 field goal attempts. The Vaqueras held the Bears to a .172 shooting percentage in the first half and outscored them 18-1 in second-chance points.

Pippin scored 10 points in the first quarter and 13 in the second. All of her nine second-half points came on 3-pointers.

Marsh's basket with 6:50 left in the third quarter extended CAC's lead to 63-22. The lead reached 41 points once again at 78-37 on Pippin's 3-pointer with 8:48 remaining.

Janaya Berry led the Bears with 16 points.

One of the few negatives for the Vaqueras was their second-half ballhandling. Central committed 12 turnovers in the last two quarters, which Phoenix converted into 15 points.

The Vaqueras have two regular-season games remaining — Saturday at Scottsdale and Tuesday at home against Eastern Arizona.