In OT, Crownpoint girls deny defending champ ’Prep

FARMINGTON

With 2:21 left in regulation, the Crownpoint girls’ basketball team was staring at defeat on Tuesday night.

The Lady Eagles were facing a nine-point deficit as they had a tough time putting points on the board.

But in those waning moments, Crownpoint never stopped fighting. And ultimately, the Eagles used a 16-2 run to stun No. 4 seed Navajo Prep with a 39-34 overtime win in the 3A state quarterfinals at Piedra Vista High.

“We needed a spark, and all my kids did their part,” Crownpoint coach Khadijha Jackson said. “We knew what we had to do because we had a rough start. They started to pick it up and we needed our shots to start falling.”

The come-from-behind win puts the fifth seeded Eagles in today’s state semifinals, as the Jackson-coached team will take on top seed Las Vegas Robertson inside the famed Pit in Albuquerque at 9:30 a.m.

On Tuesday, Robertson eliminated No. 8 Thoreau by a 71-44 count.

“It’s big for us, it’s big for our town,” Jackson said of reaching the Final Four. “We have a really good fan base. As long as we keep pushing we’re going to aim for that Friday game.”

Of course, Jackson was referring to the 3A state title game.

“That’s our next challenge right now,” she said.

The senior-heavy Crownpoint team is in its first state semifinals in over three decades with the 1989-90 squad the last one to achieve that feat. That season the Lady Eagles lost to Mora in the third-place game.

“It’s a great feeling,” Crownpoint senior Kaleigh Shorty said. “I’ve played four years in high school and we’ve gotten out of the first round every single year. You know, making the Final Four and getting the chance to play in the Pit is amazing.”

Shorty played a big part in that shocking turnaround as she scored five of her game-high 16 points in that late run while teammate Erin Etsitty chipped in four of her eight points.

Etsitty got the rally going with a 2-point basket and Shorty followed with five straight as her trey cut Navajo Prep’s lead down to 32-30 with just over a minute left.

At the other end, Navajo Prep freshman Kassidy Jones made 1-of-2 free throws and with 29 seconds left, Etsitty’s bucket pulled Crownpoint within one, 33-32.

The fifth-seeded Eagles then put Navajo Prep sophomore Tru Billie at the line and following her miss Crownpoint got one last opportunity with 10 seconds left.

After a brief timeout, Shorty drove the ball along the baseline and she dished it off to teammate Brianna Billie, who was fouled.

The Crownpoint senior connected on the first one, knotting the game at 33-all. On her second attempt, though, it hit the back iron and fell to the wayside.

“I made the first one, which tied the game,” Billie said. “I missed the second one, but all that mattered was we tied the game.”

In the OT session, Navajo Prep scored the first point with senior Springsky Chee making 1-of-2 at the charity line.

Crownpoint, however, scored the last six points as they took the lead for good on an inside bucket by sophomore Tyra Tsosie before closing out the contest by making 3-of-6 free throws.

“We knew it was going to be tough and, you know, Crownpoint never gave up,” Navajo Prep coach Rainy Crisp said. “It’s their time right now and they’re peaking at the right time.”

Early on, it was the defending state champs that controlled the tempo, taking a 9-2 lead following a 3-point play from sophomore Aiona Johnson (15 points) with 1:47 remaining in the opening quarter.

But a trey by Shorty and two free throws from senior Madison Kalfsbeck pulled Crownpoint within 11-7 heading into the second.

With a combination of poor shooting and Navajo Prep’s stingy defense, Crownpoint was held to a single point in the following quarter.

Other than a 7-1 scoring spurt in the middle of the second, Navajo Prep also had a tough time manufacturing points as they led 18-8 at the break.

The designated visiting team started the third with back-to-back treys from Etsitty and Shorty to get within 18-14, but ’Prep closed out the quarter with senior Amber Garcia scoring seven of her 15 points,

Her final basket of the period gave them a 26-17 cushion heading into the fourth.

With both teams exchanging scores, ’Prep appeared to have this game locked after Garcia’s transition layup at the 2:21 mark that put them ahead at 30-21.

But a furious rally by Crownpoint denied them a chance to defend the state title.

“Overall, it was a great game,” Crisp said. “My girls played good, but we just need to learn how to finish a game. I think the mistakes that we made were young mistakes, coming from young players.

“We have to be able to handle the ball under pressure and make smarter decisions,” she added. “But overall this was a great learning experience for them.”

In hindsight, Crisp said her team needed more production from others as Garcia and Johnson scored 30 of the team’s 34 points.

“It just shows that we have to have more than two people score, and be more of an offensive threat,” she said.

With Navajo Prep’s ouster, the state title will be finding a new home come Friday as the other semifinal pits No. 2 Tohatchi and No. 3 Santa Fe Indian School.

And while she would have liked to defend their state crown, Crisp is feeling optimistic about the new few seasons.

“We’ll definitely get to back to that caliber of making a good run at it again,” she said. “I know that for sure.”

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