Chinle Lady Wildcats capture 3A North Title, eye Copper Bracket playoffs

By Truman Begaye
Special to the Times

FORT DEFIANCE – The Chinle Lady Wildcats (18-0) completed a dominant run through the 3A North, sweeping both the regular season and tournament to finish with a perfect 12-0 in the region.

On Saturday, the top-seeded Chinle girls secured the tournament championship title with a 53-42 win over third-seeded Tuba City Lady Warriors, which dropped to 10-6 overall.

Senior center Dizhoon White led the Wildcats with 22 points, while senior forward and 3A North Player of the Year Qoah Yazzie contributed 18, including an impressive 8-of-10 performance from the free throw line.

Tuba City junior forward Aubrey Begaye paced her team with nine points, while three other Lady Warriors chipped in six points each.

The game opened with White setting the tone, scoring Chinle’s first five points before Yazzie followed with five of her own. The Lady Wildcats shot 4-of-11 from the field, including 2-of-3 from the line.

Meanwhile, Tuba City connected on 5-of-13 shots, hitting 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. Begaye carried the Lady Warriors early, scoring seven points as the first quarter ended in a 12-12 deadlock tie.

In the second quarter, Chinle began to create separation, outscoring Tuba City 15-10. The Lady Warriors briefly took a 22-20 lead when senior center Natasha Acothley sank two free throws, but the Wildcats responded with a seven-point run to close the half. White capped off the surge by grabbing a rebound and scoring a layup just before the buzzer, giving Chinle a 27-22 halftime lead.

In the second, Chinle struggled from the field shooting just 3-of-12 but made up for it with efficient free throw shooting, hitting 8-of-10. Yazzie and White each contributed six points.

Tuba City also found difficulty scoring, going 3-of-11 from the field and 4-of-6 from the line. Freshman guard Nakota Tallman led the Lady Warriors with four points in the quarter.

Chinle took full control in the third quarter, outscoring Tuba City 16-8. White led the charge with nine points, scoring the first six straight before Yazzie added a 3-pointer. Midway through the period, the Wildcats put together a 9-4 run, extending their lead.

Tuba City shot 4-of-15 in the quarter, with four different players scoring two points each. Meanwhile, Chinle improved its efficiency, connecting on 6-of-12 shots. White was dominant, hitting 4-of-5 attempts as the Wildcats entered the final quarter with a commanding 43-30 lead.

Despite Acothley fouling out in the opening seconds of the fourth, Tuba City outscored Chinle 12-10 in the final frame. Eriana Begay led the Lady Warriors with four points, while two others added three each. Chinle remained steady, shooting 5-of-10 from the field, with Yazzie leading the way with four points on a perfect 2-for-2 shooting.

After celebrating the 3A North Championship Awards, Yazzie reflected on the victory and her Player of the Year honor.

“It’s an amazing feeling to have, after all the hard work we put in as a team,” Yazzie said. “I didn’t really expect to win the award. I was hoping for at least First-Team, but things happen for a reason.”

Looking ahead to the AIA Copper Bracket, Yazzie said the team is focused on taking things one step at a time.

“We’re going to be prepared, and we’re going to put our heart into it,” she said. “I wish we didn’t have to face any other reservation teams in the first or second round, but if that’s how the bracket is set up, then that’s how it is. We’ll take every challenge one game at a time.”

Chinle head coach Francine McCurtain, who was tabbed the 3A North Coach of the Year, also expressed her pride in her team’s performance and the journey to reclaim the region title.

“It’s been a long time coming. I’ve been at Chinle for eight years and coaching for seven,” McCurtain said. “One of our goals was to bring the region championship back to Chinle, and the next goal is to bring a state championship back.”

The Chinle coach elaborated on playing in the Copper Bracket as preparation for a deep state tournament run.

“We’re going to compete the best we can, stay focused, and take it one game at a time,” McCurtain said. “Tuba City and Ganado both stepped up in this tournament and kept it close in the first half, but we had to execute flawlessly in the third and fourth quarters. That was the difference.”

Regarding her strategy against Tuba City, Francine acknowledged the advantage of having a dominant post presence.

“We have one of the biggest post players in the region, and the game plan was to use her until they stopped us,” she said. “But we also have seniors and veterans who know how to move the ball without a lot of turnovers.”

A potential fourth meeting between Chinle and Tuba City looms in the Copper Bracket. Tuba City, which earned the No. 8 seed, will host ninth seed Ganado (12-6) in the first round on Tuesday night.

Chinle, the tournament’s top seed, entertains St. Johns (15-3) at The Wildcat Den on Tuesday. The winners advance into Thursday’s second round with the higher seeded team hosting.

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