CAC’s Tamara Phillip drives to the basket during the Vaqueras’ 61-56 victory over New Mexico Junior College in the NJCAA 1/4 Final wednesday night.

The Vaqueras were helped in tremendous fashion by a defense that held New Mexico Junior College to four points in the final 51⁄2 minutes of the quarterfinal game. Virgin Islander Tamara Phillip was a crucial ingredient for the Vaqueras to claim victory.

The third-seeded Vaqueras forged on with a 61-56 victory over the sixth-seeded Thunderbirds at the Bicentennial Center. Today’s (March 23) semifinal opponent (4 p.m. Arizona time) is second-seeded Hutchinson, Kan. (35-0), which downed No. 10 Walters State, Tenn., 62-46.

“It wasn’t as pretty as we would have liked it to be, but we’ve got two wins (in the tournament) without all of our pieces clicking,” CAC coach Denise Cardenas said. “We were due for a Final Four. The kids have worked hard, and they deserve it.”

After slicing CAC’s lead to 53-52 on Honor Duvall’s basket with 5:27 remaining, NMJC did not score again until Teonna Campbell’s field goal with 53 seconds to play. The Thunderbirds missed six shots and committed a turnover during that crucial stretch.

The Vaqueras (31-1) went ahead 56-52 on Brea Townsend’s fourth three-pointer of the game with 4:59 left. Townsend’s free throw made it 57-52 with 3:21 remaining.

September Offutt’s basket with 38 seconds left off an assist from Katrina Ottesen following the Virgin Islands Tamara Phillip’s steal put the Vaqueras up 59-54, and Katrina Salinas made two free throws with 27 seconds remaining to secure the victory.

Salinas scored 11 points, Phillip had eight, Ottesen scored seven and Shanice Butler had five for the Vaqueras, who shot 35 percent from the field (21 of 60).

There were six lead changes and two ties in the first half. Central’s largest lead was three points (8-5 and 23-20). Perez’s three-pointer two seconds before halftime, gave NMJC its second five-point lead.

The Vaqueras tied it 29-29 early in the second half on baskets by Salinas and Phillip and Offutt’s free throw, then went ahead 31-29 on Offutt’s basket with 17:40 to play.

Central overcame 23 turnovers, which the Thunderbirds converted into 14 points. The Vaqueras scored just four points off 14 NMJC turnovers.