Window Rock girls overcome slow start to upend MV

PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. – By all means this was a trap game for the Window Rock Lady Scouts.

The second-seeded Scouts (26-4) rode into the 3A state quarterfinals with a psychological edge over Monument Valley, the tournament’s No. 7 seed. Window Rock had already posted three wins over MV prior to the state playoffs, including a 32-point drubbing in the 3A North Region tournament two weeks ago.

On Monday the Scouts beat MV (19-12) for the fourth time this season, as Window Rock moved into the state semifinals for the second straight year with a 45-38 over the Mustangs at the Findlay Toyota Center in Prescott Valley, Ariz.

“Coming into this game I knew we were going to see a different MV team,” Window Rock coach Gabrielle Whitney said. “This was an MV team that we hadn’t seen before because this is the playoffs – it’s win or go home.

“I told the girls that MV is gonna want it, so we had to give everything we had,” she added.

After trailing for much of the first half, Window Rock held MV to only four points in the third stanza. The Scouts took the lead for good at 27-26 late in the quarter when senior Asa-Ryah Begaye nailed a two-point shot with 2:37 left.

Begaye then nailed a three-pointer with just over two minutes left for a 30-26 cushion, but MV didn’t go away.

The Mustangs got a timely trey from senior Jazanna Miles before Window Rock closed out the quarter with senior Jayme Tso hitting 1-of-2 free throws for a 31-29 Scout lead.

The Whitney-coached team then padded that two-point lead into a 37-29 cushion behind a pair of treys. Junior guard Devae Willie made the first one and Tso nailed the second to earn Window Rock that eight-point cushion with 3:54 left in the fourth.

In the midst of that Window Rock run, MV missed six consecutive free throws. Nonetheless, the Mustangs made one final push with a 5-0 run.

Senior post Corey Sandoval got it started with an inside basket and, following a steal, Mustang junior Latisha Mutte scored on a breakaway layup.

Mutte added 1-of-2 free throws to draw MV within 37-34 with 2:21 left. That was as close as the Mustangs would get as Window Rock iced the game by making 6-of-8 free throws down the stretch.

“At halftime we just had to get refocused,” Whitney said. “We had to make some defensive stops and coming out of that third quarter the girls found a rhythm. They found that team chemistry and they found their playing style and that is what showed in that third, fourth quarter.”

In the opening half, MV junior post Keiryn Mann paced the Mustangs with eight points. Her second basket netted MV its largest lead at 14-8 with 1:40 left in the opening period.

The Scouts then scored six straight as Kourtney Bitselley’s putback with 6:31 left in the second quarter tied the game at 14-all.

After trading baskets, MV went on a 7-0 run to open up a 25-20 cushion behind two free throws from sophomore Tehya Yazzie with 0:24 left in the half.

The Scouts, however, received an old-fashioned three-point play from senior guard Melicia Nelson to cut that deficit down to 25-23 at the break.

“I have to give props to MV,” Whitney said. “They gave it everything they had in that first and second quarter. We were having a little bit of difficulties stopping them defensively. They were scoring on us even though we dropped into a man, a 1-3-1 and 2-3 zone defense.”

Mann led the Mustangs with 10 points while senior wing Corey Sandoval added seven.

For Window Rock, Begaye finished with a team-best 10 points. The Scouts also received eight from Willie and seven from Nelson.

“Sometimes Asa gets overlooked,” Whitney said of her pupil. “She uses that to her advantage because teams will not guard her as hard so she’s gonna shoot and if they give her the lane, she’s gonna attack.

“Teams shouldn’t overlook Asa because she’s a threat,” she added.

On Friday Window Rock plays third-seeded Show Low at 4:30 p.m. in the second of two semifinals at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The championship game is slated for Saturday at 4 p.m.

“It’s going to be a tough game,” Whitney said. “It’s going to come down to who wants it more.”

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