Rock Point Cougars secure 66-56 victory over St. Michael Indian School

By Lee Begaye
Special to the Times

BURNSIDE, Ariz. — The Rock Point Cougars (9-10) defeated the St. Michael Indian School Cardinals (5-11) in a Tuesday evening matchup at the historic old Ganado High Gymnasium.

Junior center Ryer James showcased his offensive prowess, leading the Cougars with 22 points. James, who recently surpassed the 1,000-point milestone, drew defensive attention that created opportunities for his teammates. Junior Tristan Begay scored 20 points, while sophomore guard Quintin Yazzie added 12.

Reflecting on James’ milestone, Rock Point head coach Colin Begay remarked, “It’s a huge accomplishment for him to hit 1,000 points. This has been a goal of his since the beginning of the season. I’m very proud of him. It’s a testament to his hard work, his love for the game, and his consistency since his freshman year.”

For St. Michael, playing without a home gym this season, junior Ryan Legah and sophomore Deshawn Smith each contributed 16 points. Both teams, each fielding only eight players, had several athletes score in double figures. Notably, neither team has a senior, and no player fouled out during the game.

Both teams started slow until James scored on a rebound and putback at the 6:35 mark. That start helped Rock Point to a 6-3 lead. St. Michael responded with a 10-2 run, fueled by back-to-back 3-pointers for a 13-8 advantage. The quarter ended with the Cardinals leading 17-14 after both teams exchanged baskets. Legah led the Cardinals with seven points while James scored six points for Rock Point, which all came in the paint.

The Cardinals opened the second quarter with an 8-0 run, extending their lead to 25-14. Coach Colin Begay called a timeout to regroup his team, as they responded with a 9-2 run to close the gap to 27-23 with 3:10 left.

Despite seeing some increased defensive pressure, the Cardinals scored five straight points for a 32-23 advantage with 2:41 remaining.

However, the Cougars closed the quarter on a 6-0 run, narrowing the deficit to 32-29 at halftime.

The game shifted dramatically in the third quarter, as Rock Point unleashed a dominant 25-4 run that began late in the second quarter. Behind that blitz, the Cougars took a 48-36 lead at the 1:34 mark before first-year St. Michael head coach William Curley called a timeout.

Reflecting on the pivotal run, Curley admitted, “I have faith in our team to turn things around after each possession. This is a very young team without senior leadership. Looking back, I should have called that timeout earlier. It’s a learning moment for me, and we’ll get it right.”

In the final quarter, both teams traded baskets, with Rock Point narrowly outscoring St. Michael 17-16 to secure the 66-56 victory.

Coach Curley acknowledged James’ achievement and his team’s defensive approach: “We tried to stay physical and keep him in check. I’ve coached Ryer before, and I know how talented he is. Reaching 1,000 points is a major accomplishment, and I’m proud of him.”

Coach Colin Begay credited the Cougars’ second-half surge to adjustments: “We were forcing too many outside shots, so we decided to attack the paint, and it paid off.”

James, reflecting on his milestone, said, “I feel like I’ve accomplished something great, and as a junior, I have goals to reach 1,500 or even 2,000 points. But I couldn’t do it without my teammates. They draw attention away from me, which opens up opportunities for all of us.”

Laughing, he added, “Tristan scores too; he is at 700 or 800 points also and when the defense relaxes on me, it lets me get back to scoring.”

St. Michael (2-4, 1A North) will host the undefeated Dishchii’bikoh Wildcats (11-8, 8-0 1A North) on Thursday evening. The Cougars will hit the road, traveling to Peach Springs, Arizona, to face Music Mountain (8-11) on Friday before wrapping up their trip against BASIS Flagstaff (10-5) on Saturday night.

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