Chinle boys even score with Tuba

Posted by Quentin Jodie | Jan 23, 2025 | Sports |

CHINLE – On Friday night, the Chinle boys basketball team turned back Tuba City and avenged a seven-point setback to the Warriors earlier last week.

The Wildcats (15-8) got a much-needed lift with a buzzer-beating trey by senior guard Cleighton Bahe as Chinle posted a 62-48 before 3,800-plus fans at the Wildcat Den.

“Cleighton has been injured and injured this season,” second-year Chinle coach CJ Woods said. “We were expecting him to be a starter, and we were expecting him to be a leader and a captain, but he got injured.

“More than anything, you have to be so proud of that kid,” the Chinle coach added. “Hopefully, as he keeps going, he’s going to be another piece to our puzzle.”

Navajo Times | Quentin Jodie
Tuba City Warrior Jacob Sheppard (left) keeps the ball away from Chinle defender Jakobe Nastacio during a 3A North Region game on Friday night at the Chinle Wildcat Den.

Bahe finished with seven points, but his 3-pointer gave Chinle the spark it needed to overcome Tuba. His trey earned the Wildcats a 44-40 cushion heading into the fourth.

“We all felt that spark,” Chinle junior guard Renen Parker said of his teammates’ trifecta. “We just wanted to win this game and get back at Tuba for losing on their home court.”

The Wildcats were coming off a 60-53 loss to Tuba as that first game was played on Wednesday, Jan. 15.

Parker was one of 10 players that scored for Chinle as he nailed four treys for 12 points. The Wildcats were led by senior Jaiden Lee, who finished with a game-high 17 points.

“This was a great win,” Woods said. “We went 13 deep with how we rotated tonight. Having (10) players score is a testament to the depth that we have. We had good energy on the ball, and we played well.

“I’m so proud of the group that we have,” he added. “I’m so proud of how we responded.”

Tuba City, which is guard-heavy, closed within 46-44 following a basket by senior Deiondre Whitework with 6:50 to go. But the Wildcats scored 13 of the next 17 points to go up 59-48 with 3:04 remaining. In that sequence, Parker hit his third and fourth trey.

“When they hit back-to-back treys you could feel our energy drop,” said first-year Tuba City coach Robert Blackhat Jr., whose team dropped to 9-8 overall. “So the momentum shifted and as coaches we try to tell our guys to stay compose.”

And with nearly 4,000 fans inside the arena, Blackhat had his concerns entering the big 3A North Region game.

“This was Chinle’s homecoming and when we came here, we told them that there was going to be a loud crowd,” the Tuba coach said. “We haven’t played in front of a crowd like that. Instead of being proactive, we were reactive. We just have to learn from this.”

Tuba had six players contribute to the scoring column with sophomore guard Marai Bilagody leading the way with 11 points. Senior guard Tyler Tsinnie and Whiterock added nine each while junior forward Jacob Sheppard chipped in eight.

On Tuesday night, Chinle hosted Window Rock as the Wildcats were looking to hold its grip with the No. 2 seed for next month’s 3A North Region Championships that is scheduled for Feb. 6-8 at the Bee Hółdzil Fighting Scouts Events Center in Fort Defiance.

Page (15-5) heads the region race with a 6-0 record followed by Chinle (5-2), Tuba City (4-2), Monument Valley (3-3), Window Rock (1-5) and Ganado (0-7).

“We are shooting to win the region championship trophy,” Woods said. “It’s very competitive now, but we know that we can go against a lot of the teams.

“We’re not fully polished all the way yet, but we’re starting to see a little bit more of that,” the Chinle coach added. “If it lines up just right, we might be a polished team entering the region tournament.”