Monument Valley outlasts Window Rock in 3A North showdown

By Lee Begaye
Special to the Times

FORT DEFIANCE – Monument Valley secured a hard-fought 58-53 victory over the Window Rock Scouts in a Saturday night clash, staking its claim to fourth place in the 3A North.

The Mustang boys spoiled the Scouts’ homecoming celebration at the Bee Hółdzil Fighting Scouts Events Center, pulling away in the final moments of the game. Senior Latrell Begay led the charge with 25 points, completing 7 of 11 from the free throw, while sophomore Mekhi Parrish added 18 points, hitting 6 of 7 from the line to lead the Mustangs to the victory.

Window Rock junior guard Jaylen Brown put up a valiant effort, scoring 21 points, including 5 of 8 from the free throw line, in the losing effort.

Parrish established the pace early, scoring eight points on 4-of-5 shooting from the line as he relentlessly attacked the basket. Senior guard Ralph Gray III contributed five points, and Begay added four to give the Mustangs a 17-11 lead by the end of the quarter.

A foul at the buzzer allowed Brown to sink two free throws, narrowing the gap to 17-13 heading into the second.

The second quarter began chaotically for Monument Valley, as a substitution error left six players on the court, resulting in a technical foul.

Window Rock junior forward Makye Gilbert capitalized on that miscue, hitting both free throws to trim the deficit to 17-15. On the ensuing possession, Brown tied the game at 17-17 with a layup.

The Scouts found their rhythm midway through the quarter, going on an 11-2 run to seize a 30-24 lead. Monument Valley struggled offensively, enduring a four-minute drought before calling a timeout with less than a minute remaining.

A late surge from the Mustangs trimmed the deficit to 32-28 at halftime. Brown led the Scouts with nine second-quarter points, while Begay scored seven of Monument Valley’s 11 markers in the period.

The Scouts maintained a slim lead throughout much of the third quarter until Monument Valley made a late push. Begay capped the quarter with a clutch 3-pointer from the corner as the buzzer sounded, evoking memories of Ray Allen’s iconic shot in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals. The Mustangs entered the fourth quarter with a narrow 43-41 lead.

Window Rock stormed into the final frame with an 8-0 run, fueled by Brown’s back-to-back baskets, to reclaim a 49-43 lead. However, the Mustangs methodically chipped away at the deficit. Begay and Parrish combined to go 4-for-4 from the free-throw line, bringing Monument Valley within two points at 49-47.

With less than three minutes remaining, Begay drove into the paint and drew a blocking foul on Window Rock’s senior center Derek Martinez. A technical foul on Scouts head coach Ashley Mitchell followed, allowing Begay to sink 3 of 4 free throws and give the Mustangs a 50-49 advantage. Parrish then added a layup, which capped a 9-0 Mustang run that included seven free throws, putting them ahead 52-49.

In the final minute, Brown attempted a layup but landed awkwardly on his back, forcing him to exit the game. Senior guard Xavier Young stepped up, hitting free throws to tie the game at 53-53. Moments later, Gilbert drove to the basket but was called for a charge, reminiscent of the earlier controversial call. Gilbert also left the game due to injury.

Monument Valley capitalized on the Scouts’ missed opportunities in the closing seconds, hitting free throws to seal the 58-53 win. Begay scored seven points, all from the free throw line, in the fourth quarter, while Parrish added six.

Monument Valley head coach Randolph Gilmore praised his team’s resilience in the hard-fought victory.

“We got some calls in our favor tonight. Latrell [Begay] is very crafty, and Mekhi [Parrish] is coming along fast,” Gilmore said. “If we can play to our potential, we can match up with anyone.

“We make errors and mistakes, but we’re working on being consistent,” he added. “Right now we are kind of like a roller coaster.”

When asked about defending Brown and Gilbert, Gilmore added, “we knew they were key scorers, so we put our best defenders on them. It paid off defending Gilbert, but Brown scored at will. We need to improve on that.”

Window Rock head coach Ashley Mitchell was unavailable for comment.

Monument Valley will host Chinle on Friday night for a 3A North game before hosting Holbrook for a freedom game on Saturday.

Window Rock is entertaining Page on Friday.

---