Pit stop

Posted by Sunnie R. Clahchischiligi | Jan 8, 2015 | Basketball |

Red Valley/Cove repeats as champions

Mitchell Howe (23) of Red Valley/Cove splits the defense against Cheston Platero (12) and Antonio Larez (3) of To’hajiilee in the championship game of the 4th annual Striking Eagle Basketball Invitational on Saturday. (Times photo – Ravonelle Yazzie)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.

The buffed wooden floor, the leather seats and the famous tunnel in the Wise Pies (the Pit) Arena was a long way from the multi-purpose room the Red Valley/Cove boy’s basketball team spends their evenings in.

The team typically practices in the cafeteria room, which also serves as a multipurpose building, since the school doesn’t have a gymnasium.

But to the Miners, that’s just geography, and it wasn’t enough to keep them from earning their second Striking Eagle Basketball Invitational championship, when they defeated To’hajiilee High School 48-46 on Saturday.

“We don’t have a gym,” Red Valley/Cove head coach Lee Zhonnie said. “But anytime there’s an opportunity in a gym like this we take it for granted and we use it for our advantage.”

Take advantage they did.

The Miners took immediate control of the tempo, as they stayed one step ahead of the Warriors throughout the first quarter.

The Miners led 11-10 at the end of one.

To’hajiilee took advantage of their outside shooters and of some open looks. With less than two minutes left in the first half, they took over the lead and extended it to five points, 28-23 over Red Valley/Cove.

The Warriors led 28-27 at intermission.

Red Valley/Cove’s Mitchell Howe led the team on offense with 13 points at the half.

Zhonnie said while that helped the team in the first half, they needed to change things up if they were going to have any chance of closing the game with a win.

“We talked about growing big, play big and strong,” he said. “We changed our defense to a 3-2, so we can pressure the ball.”