Chinle Lady Wildcats dominate Whitehorse in tournament finale

By Lee Begaye
Special to the Times

CHINLE – The Chinle Lady Wildcats claimed a commanding 71-43 victory over the Whitehorse Lady Raiders in the 2024 Southwest Food Excellence Winter Classic Girls Basketball Tournament championship at the Wildcat Den in Chinle, Arizona.

Chinle advanced to the title game after defeating Navajo Prep and Pine Hill, while Whitehorse, led by sophomore standout and tournament MVP Keirra Martin, swept Many Farms and Piñon to secure their spot in the finals.

Senior guard Noelle Walker paced the Lady Wildcats with 16 points, supported by senior guard Jayden Lynch with 15 and senior forward Dizhoon White, who added 13.

For Whitehorse, Martin carried the team with an impressive 18 points.

The game began with Chinle asserting dominance early, jumping out to a 16-7 lead in the first quarter. The Lady Wildcats demonstrated balanced scoring, with five players contributing, led by Walker and senior forward Quah Yazzie, who tallied five points each.

On the other side, Whitehorse was held in check, with senior guard Lamyia Benally opening their scoring with a three-pointer.

In the second quarter, Chinle extended their lead with a 23-point performance, highlighted by Lynch’s eight points, including two three-pointers. Dizhoon White added four points, while three other Wildcats chipped in three points each.

Martin sparked Whitehorse’s offense with eight points, starting the quarter with a three-pointer, converting an and-one, and finishing with a mid-range shot.

Despite her efforts, Chinle took a commanding 39-19 lead into halftime.

The third quarter saw Martin continue her offensive surge, adding nine points and going 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. Whitehorse kept pace with Chinle, matching their 17 points in the quarter, with junior guard Hannah Clark and senior Heidi Clark each contributing four points.

Chinle, however, maintained their momentum, with White scoring seven points and Walker adding five. Reserve players saw increased time on the court as Chinle entered the final quarter with a 56-36 lead.

In the fourth quarter, Chinle sealed their championship run with contributions from their bench. Sophomore Brianna Benally came off the bench for four points, while sophomore Jaycee Wagner and junior forward Caitlyn Ashley added three and two points, respectively.

Lynch and Walker also added three points each, with Lynch converting all her free-throw attempts and Walker sinking a long-range three-pointer. Whitehorse struggled offensively, as Martin was limited to a single free throw, while Heidi Clark led the team with four points.

“We knew Chinle was going to be a tough game,” Whitehorse coach Joni Dickson said. “Our strategy was to dig deep and play to the last second. Although we came away with the loss, it was a good experience for our team.

“Our defense is our bread and butter. Having control of the game and trusting each other are key,” she added. “Hannah [Clark] stepped up and scored quite a bit.”

Martin, the tournament MVP, said playing Chinle was a good experience.

“It was good to play, team build, and work on our chemistry with the up-and-coming bench players as we prepare for regional play,” Martin said. “As coach said, our defense is key to our success.”

Chinle head coach Francine McCurtain praised the tournament’s competition: “Navajo Prep gave us a great challenge with their defense. Whitehorse played their hearts out and challenged us; the scoreboard doesn’t reflect their efforts. This tournament gave our reserves valuable playing time to gain experience. Noelle Walker, after sitting out last year with an ACL injury, is back in the starting lineup and playing well.”

Looking ahead to the 3A North season, McCurtain added: “The 3A North is competitive—any team can win it. Monument Valley is tough, Tuba City has returning players, Ganado has Faith James and they just beat MV, and Window Rock’s coach Gabby can ignite her team. We need to stay healthy and elevate our play to meet that competition.”

Chinle concludes the first half of the season with an impressive 13-1 record, with the team’s only loss coming against (7-1) 5A Camp Verde on Dec. 14.

The Lady Wildcats will kick off 3A North play on Jan. 4 at the Bee Hó?dzil Fighting Scouts Events Center against Window Rock. Whitehorse, now 6-3, will host Monument Valley (Utah) on January 8 to continue Utah Region 19 play.

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