Youth served

Freshmen class paces Shiprock to title win

CHINLE

With a freshmen cast the Shiprock girls’ basketball team exploded for 38 points in the second half of the championship game of the Choice Wireless Classic on Dec. 9.

At the half the Lady Chieftains were clinging to a 29-23 advantage over Window Rock before they went on a run to post a 67-43 victory.

“We talked about relentless pressure and we talked about getting a good start in the third quarter,” Shiprock coach Larenson Henderson said. “We finished out the game strong and the girls did what they were supposed to do.”

As for his talented freshmen cast, Henderson said he had to ask assistant coach Sheila Begay to see if they started that many freshmen.

“I started laughing when I kept hearing ‘Freshman, freshman,’” Henderson said. “I looked to coach Begay and I told her we are going to be good for the next few years so we’re excited about that.”

All told the Lady Chieftains have four freshmen on the team and in Saturday’s win they combined for 43 points headed by the 16 points turned in by post Evette Lansing. Guards Tiontai Woods and Laila Charley added 11 and 10, respectively.

In the third quarter, Lansing and Charley combined for nine points as Shiprock scored the first 17 of 19 points for a 46-25 cushion.

“We just ran out of gas,” first-year Window Rock coach Sharon Toadecheenie said.

After playing six tournament games, Toadecheenie said fatigue started to set in as Window Rock started the last day of the tournament with an earlier game against San Carlos in the quarterfinals. Then in the semifinals, Window Rock overcame a 16-point halftime deficit and outlasted Tohatchi by a 67-65 count.

“The girls were tired,” Toadecheenie said. “In our game with Tohatchi the girls played so hard and they used up a lot of energy. The turning point was our defense.”

In the championship game, the Window Rock coach said they played excellent defense for the opening quarter but in the second half they were a few steps behind Shiprock.

Junior Asia James tried her best to keep the Scouts in the game as she scored eight of her 18 points in the second half. Sophomore forward Jana Solee and senior post Haley Talkalai added six apiece.

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