Navajo Prep rolls past Thoreau, extends district streak

By Lee Begaye
Special to the Times

THOREAU, N.M. — After a scoreless opening minute, Navajo Prep quickly took control and never looked back, cruising to a 68–23 win over Thoreau (7-10, 1-2) on Saturday afternoon in a District 1–3A girls basketball matchup at Thoreau High School.

Junior Leilani Wood led the Lady Eagles with 16 points, while two other Navajo Prep players also finished in double figures. Junior Jayden Conn scored 12 points, and freshman Taylor Begay added 11 off the bench. Junior Kayleigh Dodge paced Thoreau with 15 points in the loss.

The victory improved Navajo Prep to 12–3 overall and 3–0 in district play, extending its winning streak to nine games. Since back-to-back losses to 5A No. 3 Farmington and 4A No. 2 Kirtland Central earlier in the season, the Lady Eagles have outscored eight of their last nine opponents by double digits.

Navajo Prep head coach Rainy Crisp said the team’s recent success has come from staying focused on execution rather than results.

“We work on the small things — transition offense, running our lanes, rebounding, executing our plays,” Crisp said. “It’s still a work in progress. The focus is execution, not the score.”

Navajo Prep set the tone early, opening the game with a 26–7 first-quarter lead. Wood scored 12 points in the period on six field goals, while six other Eagles contributed offensively. Thoreau’s scoring came from Dodge, who had four points, and junior Madison Woodie, who added 3.

The Lady Eagles continued to build separation in the second quarter, outscoring Thoreau 17–6 to take a 43–13 lead into halftime. Dodge and Woodie each knocked down a 3-pointer for the Hawks, accounting for all six of their points in the period.

Navajo Prep’s scoring slowed in the third quarter, but its defense remained steady. The Eagles added nine points to push the lead to 51–19, with reserve senior Karriyra Goldtooth scoring four points. Dodge was Thoreau’s lone scorer in the quarter, finishing with six.

In the final frame, Navajo Prep’s depth was again on display, as five players combined for 18 points. Freshman Paiten Tucson led the way with five. Thoreau managed four points in the quarter, with Dodge and sophomore Tayana Ramone each scoring a basket.

Crisp emphasized the importance of maintaining focus as district play continues.

“We take it one game at a time,” Crisp said. “Any team can come in and surprise you, so we stay focused and keep executing our game.”

Navajo Prep will return home to host Wingate (5-10, 0-2) on Jan. 21, while Thoreau travels to Crownpoint (12-3,2-0) on the same day.

Get instant access to this story by purchasing one of our many e-edition subscriptions HERE at our Navajo Times Store.

 

---