Rock Point Lady Cougars
reflect on season after playoff exit

By Donovan Quintero
Special to the Times

GOODYEAR, Ariz. – The Rock Point Lady Cougars’ playoff journey came to a heartbreaking end last Friday as they fell to the St. David Lady Tigers, 38-29, in a tough postseason battle.

Despite the loss, head coach Andrew Reed remains optimistic about the team’s future, highlighting the lessons learned and the resilience needed for another championship run.

Reflecting on the season, Reed praised the team’s growth but also pointed to the challenges that held them back in the playoffs.

“We really stepped up, built chemistry, and figured out our game plan,” he said.

However, mental resilience was a key area where the team struggled.

“We didn’t have that mental toughness, and that really hurt us, especially toward the end.”

As the three-time defending state champions, Rock Point has consistently been a top contender. However, their success also made them a prime target for opponents.

“Any team that plays Rock Point comes out tough against us. We have a big target on our backs,” Reed noted.

Despite expecting tough competition, the Cougars had difficulty adapting.

“We threw so many passes away, and our legs just weren’t there. Our shots weren’t going in. They took us out of our game.”

Reed had hoped his team would execute better against St. David’s man-to-man defense, an approach the Cougars had prepared for in practice.

“We’ve been practicing against man-to-man, so I told them to run the offense, set screens, and roll. But we got nervous and started throwing the ball away,” he admitted.

The Lady Tigers kept the Rock Point Lady Cougars from taking over the game all night and kept the team from scoring. Tayleen Woody guarded all night and only scored in the second and third periods. She was fouled a total of four times and got four points out of a possible eight points at the free throw line. Overall, Woody scored 13 points for her team.

Pepper Pete was never able to get comfortable in the game and only scored two points in the third. Corlana Begay managed to get four points in the first and a point in the second quarter. After that, she could find her game as well. Ashanti Smith contributed a total of five points, and Jasmine Shorty added four to the team’s overall score against St. David.

The inability to get to the free throw line was another significant factor.

Woody was fouled a total of four times and got four points out of a possible eight points at the free throw line. Her teammates Corlana Begay and Ashanti Smith were each fouled once and contributed two points from the free throw line out of a possible four.

“We didn’t draw fouls or get to the line as much as I wanted.”

Despite the playoff exit, the future remains bright for the Lady Cougars, who will return many of their key players next season.

“A lot of them are coming back, and they’re hungry,” Reed said. “Now they’ve got a taste of it. In a couple of years, we’ll be better. We’ll be back, going for the state title.”

Injuries also played a role in the team’s postseason performance.

“One of my post players has a bad knee injury, and another got hurt in the Red Mesa game,” Reed shared. “We had to tough it out, and they did their best.”

While officiating frustrations were apparent among fans, Reed made it clear that his team must learn to overcome such challenges.

“We can’t sit there and complain about it. We just have to play our game, run the offense, shoot the ball, and watch our passes.”

With the season now behind them, the focus shifts to regrouping and preparing for next year. Reed knows that maintaining dominance won’t be easy, but he’s confident in his team’s ability to rise again.

St. David went onto play the No. 1 seed Joseph City Lady Wildcats on Saturday and could not produce a win as they fell, 64-36. Joseph City continues their quest as they prepare to take on the No. 2 Fort Thomas Lady Apaches on Friday at the Arizona Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum at 1 p.m.

The Lady Cougars may have fallen short this time, but their journey is far from over. With a young, determined squad and a coach who believes in their potential, Rock Point is already looking ahead to another championship chase.

As the girls basketball season concludes, Rock Point finished with a perfect 10-0 record in 1A North Region play and an impressive 20-4 overall. Their offensive prowess accumulated 1,464 points this season while limiting opponents to 911 points.

“Teams aren’t going to make it easy for us anymore, but we’re not done yet. We’ll be back, stronger and ready to go for that title again.”

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