Crownpoint cashes in on treys to best Navajo Pine

CROWNPOINT

For 16 minutes, the Crownpoint boys’ basketball team was locked in with their outside game.

The Eagles made nine treys in the opening half and at the conclusion of Monday night’s nondistrict contest they cashed in on 12 made threes to score a 61-55 win over Navajo Pine.

“Most of my players can shoot threes, so in the first half we wanted to spread them out,” Crownpoint coach Thale Goodluck said. “When we started to make them we brought out their defense and once they came out the plan was to start working inside.”

Admittedly, the first-year coach said, his team’s interior game does need work, but they were able to beat the Warriors with its solid outside shooting.

The Eagles made three consecutive treys to stake out a 12-6 cushion with five minutes left in the opening stanza.

Navajo Pine countered that offensive attack by taking the ball inside. The Warriors scored four consecutive buckets for an 18-15 edge with senior Keishawn Nez pumping in nine of his team-best 19 points.

Navajo Pine led 22-18 at the end of the first.

In the next quarter, Crownpoint got its seventh trey from junior LaDainian Willie and by the time it dropped its first two-point basket from sophomore Taye Harvey, 12 minutes had already elapsed.

The Eagles added two more treys before the half ended with Harvey’s trifecta earning Crownpoint a 31-24 cushion.

Willie extended that margin to 47-33 as Navajo Pine started the second half on the wrong foot with three straight turnovers.

“Those turnovers hurt but this is a big improvement,” Navajo Pine coach Sean Manuelito said. “We played them in our first game and Crownpoint beat us by (28) points so this game was redemption for us.”

Manuelito said he’s working with a young team as he graduated seven seniors off last year’s state playoff team.

“We lost a lot of talent last year so everybody this year is getting used to how we do things on the varsity level,” he said. “We’re slowly turning things around.”

Despite trailing by double digits the Warriors closed the gap, outscoring Crownpoint 15 to 9 in the final quarter by utilizing their size, with Ian Catron and Nez combining for 10 points.

In addition to Nez, Catron reached double figures with 14 points.

“Keishawn and Ian are our bigs in our group, and once we go there it kind of opens our outside,” Manuelito said. “They’re really talented and they can be unstoppable.”

As for Crownpoint, the Eagles exhibited those traits from long range with Harvey, Willie and freshman Tydon Tsosie combining for 11 treys. Willie had five of those baskets as he finished with 17 while Harvey scored 20, including three treys and Tsosie nailed three treys and finished with 13 points.

Goodluck said his guards are shooting more confidently, especially Tsosie.

“I think being a younger player there is some intimidation but I’m trying to bring him out of it and it’s working,” he said of his 5-6 freshman. “He’s gaining more confidence to where he doesn’t have to think twice about shooting.

“He’s getting to the point to where he knows his shots are going to go in,” he said. “He’s also my defensive stopper. He’s very aggressive and don’t let his size full you. He plays with a lot of heart and so far he’s doing pretty good. He’s able to man up to different opponents.”

With all but one senior on the team, the Crownpoint coach said the outlook for next season looks promising.

“I wish I had some more time with this year,” he said, while adding that his young group is starting to grasp the concepts he’s teaching them.

“It’s a lot to take in but I’ve seen some tremendous improvements from the start of the season to now,” he said.

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