THATCHER, Ariz. (Interstat) — In a high-octane men’s junior college basketball game defined by offensive efficiency, the Eastern Arizona Gila Monsters outlasted the North Idaho Cardinal 76-67 on Friday night.

The game was a statistical oddity, with both teams finishing with an identical 61 possessions. The Gila Monsters, however, made the most of theirs, posting an offensive rating of 125.3 compared to the Cardinal’s 110.1. The victory improved Eastern Arizona’s season record to 5-3, while North Idaho fell to 4-2.

Eastern Arizona seized control of the contest with a blistering first-quarter performance, outscoring North Idaho 43-35. The opening period was a shootout, featuring 11 combined three-pointers and setting a frantic pace that would continue throughout the night. The Gila Monsters maintained their advantage in the second quarter, edging the Cardinal 33-32 to secure the nine-point victory.

Derek Collins led a balanced Eastern Arizona attack, scoring a team-high 18 points in just 24 minutes of action. He was instrumental in the win, adding four rebounds and three assists. Ryder Bush orchestrated the offense masterfully, dishing out seven assists to go with his 13 points. The Gila Monsters’ frontcourt also made significant contributions, with Ryan Hunt just missing a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds, and Toms Salnajs adding nine points and seven rebounds.

North Idaho was led by Ajayi Simmons, who recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds in a game-high 38 minutes. Ne’quan Brown added eight points and nine rebounds, while Austin Ouko chipped in 11 points. Despite the loss, the Cardinal shot an impressive 48 percent from beyond the arc, connecting on 12 of 25 attempts.

The game was a tale of two offenses operating at a high level. Eastern Arizona shot 45.8 percent from the field and 44.8 percent from three-point range. North Idaho was slightly less efficient from the floor at 40.3 percent but matched the Gila Monsters’ output from long distance. The game was remarkably even in several categories, with Eastern Arizona holding a slim 34-33 rebounding edge and both teams grabbing 13 offensive boards. Turnovers were nearly identical, with North Idaho committing nine and Eastern Arizona eight.

The contest was the back end of a two-game Arizona road trip for North Idaho, which had defeated Central Arizona 85-71 the previous night. Eastern Arizona also entered the game on a winning note, having topped Casper 82-66 on Thursday.

Looking ahead, North Idaho continues its road swing at Cochise on Saturday. Eastern Arizona returns to action the same day, hosting Hagerstown.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, Eastern Arizona was projected as the favorite with a 58.10 percent probability to win, a forecast that held true by the final buzzer.