Hope Christian uses strong finish to get past Shiprock in tournament finale

ALBUQUERQUE

The gold standard in girls 4A basketball runs through Hope Christian.

The top-ranked Lady Huskies were as dominant as advertised on Saturday night.

So were the Shiprock girls basketball team.

In a game befitting a championship game, the Lady Huskies outlasted Shiprock, 57-49, at the 32nd annual Hope Christian Invitational thanks to a game-ending 6-0 run.

“What a fantastic game and it doesn’t come any better than this,” Hope Christian coach Terry Heisey said. “I have tremendous respect for Shiprock and I knew it was going to be a battle.”

With a few key returners surrounded by a bevy on newcomers, Shiprock coach Larenson Henderson was unsure how his team would compete against an exceptional veteran team that boast two girls over 6-foot with the Chieftains tallest player listed at 5-9.

“They really surprised me on the way they played because (Hope Christian) are the same team as last year and we hung with them,” Henderson said. “This was a big thing for our girls in a sold out gym. I am very proud of them, playing a big team like this.”

With some exceptional size, Heisey said that aspect proved to be the difference, especially down the stretch as Hope Christian grabbed a few offensive and defensive boards.

“I think our size eventually helped us,” he said. “It gave us some second opportunities.”

Heisey was also quick to note that despite making some uncharacteristic mistakes during the game his club played with a lot of poise at the very end as Shiprock got within 51-49 on a basket by senior Tanisha Begay with 2:52 remaining.

Her basket capped a Shiprock 5-0 run but Hope Christian was able to score the game’s final six points, including four by senior guard Charity Murphy.

“We finished out the game, making three layups when we spread the floor,” Heisey said.

Early in the contest, it was Shiprock that looked focused and tuned into the game. The Lady Chieftains got some good looks and erased an early 8-3 deficit as they closed out the opening period on a 15-5 run.

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