Crownpoint girls outlast Wingate, 52-48

Posted by Quentin Jodie | Mar 8, 2025 | Basketball |

WINGATE, N.M. – The fifth meeting between the Crownpoint and Wingate girls was worth the price of admission.

In a back-and-forth affair, the ninth-seeded Lady Eagles scored 15 points off rebounds to secure a 52-48 win over No. 8 Wingate in the opening round of the New Mexico Class 3A girls basketball state playoffs on Friday night as Crownpoint won the series, 3-2.

“We had to grind this one out,” said Crownpoint coach Byron Murphy, whose team improved to 14-15 overall. “What we told the girls is that we have to play tough ‘D’, take care of the ball and crash the boards.

“We always tell the girls to always fight for the rebounds whether it’s defensively or offensively,” he added. “And when we put a bad shot up, get the rebound and let’s go back to work.”

Navajo Times | Quentin Jodie
Wingate Lady Bear Janae Wagner (right) looks for an open player as she is being defended by Crownpoint Lady Eagle Amy Murphy (40) on Friday night in the opening round of the New Mexico Class 3A girls state playoffs. Crownpoint advanced into the next round with a 52-48 win.

Crownpoint junior Courtney Craig snatched a handful of those offensive boards, which gave the Eagles second chance opportunities.

“My mentality was to box out,” said Craig, who finished with a team-best 14 points. “If you box out, it gives a chance to score because you have a higher chance to make an inside shot rather than an outside shot.”

Those putbacks along with some key steals aided in Crownpoint’s rally as the Lady Bears led for much of the contest. After playing zone for more than a half, the Eagles switched to an aggressive man defense in the middle of the third.

That scheme paid dividends for the Murphy-coached team as Crownpoint took its first lead of the night when junior guard Kathryn Francisco hit a layup with 2:40 left for a 33-32 advantage. That basket by Francisco capped a 7-0 run, which took all but 17 seconds as Crownpoint cashed in on a pair Wingate turnovers.

“We struggled in that first half and we tried to stick with our zone,” Murphy said. “We got behind at halftime and we had to do whatever we can to get back into the game and that is when we went with our strongest defense, which is our press and that is what got us back into the game.”

After two ties, Wingate regained the lead on a 3-pointer from junior Keira Casamero with 7:37 left in the fourth.

The Eagles, however, received five straight points from sophomore Miley McMillian as her trey with 6:34 remaining gave Crownpoint a 42-38 cushion.

“I felt like I needed to step up because we needed to get more points on the board,” said McMillian, who added that everyone on the team did their part to secure the win.

“Our bench was there when we needed to be picked up,” McMillian said. “They were there to help us out, and when they got into the game, they were able to play their positions.”

With six-plus minutes left, Wingate made one final push as senior guard Morning Sky Iron Moccasin hit three baskets during an 8-2 run as her layup with 4:05 left earned the Bears its final lead at 46-44. The Wingate senior finished with a game-best 22 points.

Crownpoint, however, scored eight straight points as a putback by Craig gave Crownpoint the lead for good at 48-46 with just over three minutes left.

The Eagles extended that margin to six points before Wingate got within 52-48 on a late bucket by junior Uriah Garcia. The Bears finished the year at 14-14 overall.

The four-point triumph puts Crownpoint into Tuesday’s quarterfinal game as the Eagles will play district rival Navajo Prep at 4:45 p.m. at the Rio Rancho Events Center. Navajo Prep, which earned the tournament’s top seed, also advanced with a 58-36 win over No. 16 Santa Fe St. Michael’s.

“When we had our first parent meeting, I told them that this is where we’re going to be,” Murphy said of playing at the Rio Rancho arena. “It’s big for the girls and it’s big for me as a first-year coach. Just the work ethic that the girls put in day-in and day-out is what got us there and it’s awesome to have this opportunity.”