No. 2 Eastern Arizona College continued its postseason run on Thursday, advancing to the quarterfinals of the NJCAA Division I Women's Basketball National Championship with a 62-36 win over No. 18 Southwestern Illinois College.

The Gila Monsters delivered a dominant, balanced performance, pulling away after a steady first half and controlling the game throughout. Eastern Arizona led 28-19 at the break before outscoring Southwestern Illinois 34-17 in the second half to secure the win.

Eastern Arizona's depth proved to be a key factor, finishing with 28 bench points and forcing 19 turnovers that turned into 12 points. The Gila Monsters also controlled the glass (41–32) and limited Southwestern Illinois to just 20% shooting from the field, including 6.7% in the third quarter.

Danaeja Romero-Ah Sam led Eastern Arizona with 19 points off the bench, knocking down five three-pointers, while Esmeralda Enriquez added 14 points. Stephany Goncalves (8 points) and Trinity Carmouche (8 points) provided additional scoring support as four players finished with at least eight points.

Defensively, Eastern Arizona held Southwestern Illinois to just four points in the paint and two second-chance points, showcasing a complete effort on both ends.

With the win, Eastern Arizona advances to Saturday's quarterfinals and will face the winner of No. 7 Southern Idaho and No. 10 Dodge City. Tip-off is set for 10:15 a.m. MST.