Page reaches 3A title game

GLENDALE, Ariz.

A season long quest was answered on Friday for the Page girls basketball team.

The Lady Sand Devils turned back conference rival Chinle by a 48-39 count in the Class 3A state semifinals at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

“Last year I wasn’t with the team but they definitely redeemed themselves,” Page coach Ryan Whitehorse said. “It was a good win for them to get back into the championship game. They’ve been working hard all season long for this.”

Page will play Chandler Valley Christian in Saturday’s championship game as the two top seeds advanced. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

Valley Christian trailed Holbrook 27-24 at the half but they advanced with a 69-54 win.

The Lady Sand Devils won it all in 2015 but last season Page faltered in the Elite Eight round as the No. 2 seed.

“We’re back in the finals,” said Page forward LeLisa Watchman, who finished with 13 points and nine rebounds. “The fourth quarter was a big game-changer for us. We pushed ourselves through all the tiredness we were feeling.”

Watson said they struggled to get anything going to start the game but in the last five minutes they thrived on defense, outscoring Chinle 10 to 5.

“It was stressful with how we struggled in the beginning,” she said. “We didn’t click right away and in certain rotations some of us got tired.”

But in those last five minutes, her team did a good job of manning up and deny the ball.

“We pride ourselves on defense and everything we play is based on defense,” she said. “Our offense is based on our stops on defense so we had to step it up.

In the opening quarter, Chinle led 16-12 but after that the Sand Devils made it tough on Chinle. Every advances the Lady Wildcats made inside, Page was there collapsing on their shooters.

“Defense is something we bring to every singe game so it’s the same thing we are going to do tomorrow,” Whitehorse said. “Defense never lets us down, it something everyone can bring and it’s something that we can control. Defense is what Page basketball does.”

Offensively, the Sand Devils got contributions from six different players with Watson leading the way. Page also had Natasha Henry finish with 12 points while Myka Taliman added nine and Jacey Salabiye put in eight.

“The five girls out there, anyone one of them can score and anyone of them can step up on any given night,” Whitehorse said. “I think that is what makes us a good team. You can’t stop one player.”

Stacey Begay and Nahatabaa Nacona combined for 29 points for Chinle with Begay scoring 15.

The Lady Wildcats, who were down one starter, finished the year at 21-8.

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