Monument Valley holds off Ganado to advance in 3A North Region tournament

By Lee Begaye
Special to the Times

KAYENTA — Free throws and late composure carried Monument Valley through a tight finish Tuesday night as the Mustangs edged Ganado 60–55 at Monument Valley High School in the opening round of the 3A North Region Boys Basketball Tournament.

After Ganado erased a late six-point deficit to tie the game at 53–53 with 51.7 seconds remaining, Monument Valley closed the contest on a 7–2 run, converting 7 of 8 free throws in the final minute to secure the win and advance to the regional semifinals.

Senior Jayden Tsosie and junior Mekhi Parrish led the Mustangs with 14 points each, while freshman Kenondro Begay added 11, including two key fourth-quarter 3-pointers.

Ganado placed three players in double figures, led by Noah Murphy and Alfravero Reid-Ortiz with 12 points apiece and Quincy Peshtoney with 10.

Monument Valley relied heavily on trips to the line, shooting 19 of 30 from the free-throw line, while Ganado went 10 of 16.

The Mustangs opened with a 13–5 lead in the first quarter behind seven points from Parrish and four from Tsosie. Ganado answered in the second quarter, erupting for 20 points to take a 25–23 halftime lead. Murphy scored six points in the period and Peshtoney went 4-for-4 from the line to spark the Hornets.

The teams traded baskets in the third quarter, each scoring 14 points as Ganado held a slim 39–37 advantage entering the fourth.

Monument Valley struck first in the final period, opening on an 8–2 run to go ahead 45–41 after Begay knocked down his first 3-pointer. Ganado fought back behind second-chance baskets from Murphy to tie the game at 45–45.

With 2:58 remaining and the score tied at 47–47, a technical foul was assessed to Ganado head coach Kory Curtis. Tsosie converted 3 of 4 free throws, and Begay followed with a 3-pointer to give Monument Valley a 53–47 lead.

Ganado refused to fold, forcing turnovers, and tying the game at 53–53 before the final minute.

The Mustangs then slowed the pace and attacked the basket, drawing fouls down the stretch. Tsosie sealed the victory by hitting five late free throws.

“I feel that we could have done a lot better — a lot, lot better,” Monument Valley head coach Anderson Holiday said. “We didn’t come out as strong as we wanted to, but at the end we came through.”

Holiday said staying composed late was key.

“As a coach I try to remain calm, so the kids don’t take that vibe,” he said. “I was thinking positive even as Ganado kept it close.”

On Ganado’s rally after the technical foul, Holiday said the message stayed simple.

“That’s what Ganado was doing all night. We weren’t trying to play conservative. We just told them to do the simple things and take the simple shots.”

Holiday also pointed to Begay’s fourth-quarter shooting.

“Keondre’s mature — sometimes more than the older players,” he said. “We brought him up for that reason. He’s catching on at the varsity level and he’s a good shooter.”

Looking ahead to the semifinal matchup with Tuba City, Holiday emphasized defense.

“We’ve got to contain their offense,” he said. “Last time we didn’t do a good job and they made runs we couldn’t recover from. Play defense, run our offense, play hard.”

Ganado coach Kory Curtis acknowledged the emotional moment of the technical foul but credited his players’ effort.

“Maybe it did get to me — I didn’t agree with the call,” Curtis said. “But our boys kept us in the game until the very end. Nothing but love for Monument Valley and how they played.”

Curtis added foul trouble played a role late.

“We had one of our best players in foul trouble early,” he said. “After that it was hard to adjust. It’s been an uphill battle.”

Ganado finishes the season 7–20 overall and 1–10 in 3A North play.

Monument Valley (10–11, 7–4) advances to face Tuba City (12–12, 6–4) in the 3A North Regional semifinals Thursday. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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