Last-second block ends Tohatchi’s season

Posted by Quentin Jodie | Mar 12, 2015 | Basketball |

RIO RANCHO, N.M.

With the way things were going the Tohatchi Lady Cougars had every reason to believe that they were going to advanced into the New Mexico Class 3A girls state basketball tournament.

The Lady Cougars had the momentum on their side as they battled back from a nine-point deficit in a two-minute span against No. 3 seed Eunice and came within 55-54 with eight seconds left in the game.

Tohatchi, however, could not get a final shot off as freshman guard Kywah Johns had her short-range jumper blocked just as time expired with Eunice earning a hard-fought 56-54 win.

“I never ever doubt my team,” Tohatchi coach Tanisha Bitsoi said when asked whether she thought her club had a chance. “I never ever feel that a game is out of reach. I still believe that they still have a chance if they are down eight, 10 points with 30 seconds left.”

With the aura of playing in the Santa Ana Star Center, the Cougars found their shooting touch in that final two minutes as they made 4-of-6 shots, including a pair of threes from sophomore guard Crystal Haley, who finished with 13 points.

“We knew coming in Tohatchi was a great basketball team,” Eunice coach Jimmy Jones said. “We knew they were going to try to speed up the game and we knew they were going to shoot the threes.

“They did all those things and they made a run at us but we managed to fight them off,” he continued. “Our girls played tough and they played strong. I was real proud of the effort these girls gave tonight.”