Shiprock stuns Miyamura
in district tournament opener

By Lee Begaye
Special to the Times

GALLUP – The Shiprock Chieftains, seeded sixth and last in District 1-4A, pulled off a stunning 52-43 upset over third-seeded Miyamura in the opening round of the district tournament on Monday night.

Shiprock, which finished 1-9 in district play with its lone win also coming against Miyamura, held off a late third-quarter surge by the Patriots to secure the victory.

Shiprock built a commanding 17-point lead late in the third quarter, but Miyamura, led by sophomore guard Jordan Cadman and senior forward Brody Tah, mounted a comeback. Both players scored four points each as the Patriots clawed back within one.

However, Shiprock regained control in the fourth quarter to close out the win.

Sophomore forward Ashton Keith led all scorers with 16 points for the Chieftains, while senior guard Deon Harvey added 11. Cadman paced Miyamura with 11 points, and junior forward Ayden Nevayaktewa contributed 10 in the losing effort.

Miyamura opened the game with a 9-8 lead after holding Shiprock scoreless for the first five minutes of play. Sophomore forward Joaquin Nez finally broke the drought with a jumper at the 2:29 mark. The two teams traded baskets in the final minutes, with Shiprock outscoring Miyamura 8-4 down the stretch.

Nevayaktewa led Miyamura with four points, while senior forward Antwon Lahi added three. Shiprock’s Nez also had four, with Harvey and junior guard Teryn Mescal each chipping in two.

Shiprock opened the second quarter with a quick 3-pointer from Keith, who dominated the frame with nine points, including two treys and a perfect 3-for-3 from the free-throw line. The Chieftains went on an 8-0 run to grab a 16-9 lead before Miyamura called a timeout with 5:25 remaining.

Miyamura remained scoreless for nearly five minutes as Shiprock extended its run with five more points, pushing the lead to 21-9. Junior forward Jaxon Jones finally ended the Patriots’ drought with a layup at the 3:30 mark, cutting the deficit to 21-11. Miyamura responded with a 6-2 run to end the half, trimming Shiprock’s lead to 23-17. Cadman led the Patriots with four points in the quarter.

Shiprock came out strong in the third, scoring the first seven points to extend its lead to 30-17 before Miyamura called a timeout with 5:46 remaining. Lahi finally broke Miyamura’s dry spell with a jump shot, but the Chieftains continued their dominance, adding six more points to stretch the advantage to 36-19.

Miyamura responded by ramping up defensive pressure, forcing Shiprock into turnovers that led to fast-break points. The Patriots exploded on a 16-0 run to close the quarter, cutting the deficit to just one at 36-35. Six different Miyamura players contributed to the rally, while Keith led Shiprock with five points in the frame.

Despite Miyamura’s momentum, Shiprock regained control in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Patriots 16-8. The Chieftains extended their lead to 40-35 in the first two minutes, but Miyamura fought back, pulling within two at 42-40 with three minutes left after a three-pointer from Nevayaktewa and a layup from Ashley.

Shiprock called two timeouts in the final two minutes as Miyamura’s full-court press continued to create pressure. However, the Patriots failed to capitalize on Shiprock’s mistakes, making just 1-of-9 attempts beyond the 3-point arc down the stretch.

Tah led Miyamura with six points in the final quarter, while Shiprock’s Elishah Tsosie and Nez each scored four, with four other players adding two points apiece.

After the game, Shiprock head coach Larenson Henderson reflected on the third-quarter collapse: “Looking back, I see it was a mistake to slow the game down in the third quarter. We should have kept attacking instead of playing conservatively. That gave them a chance to rally. Our guards struggled in that situation, but they stepped up defensively when it mattered.”

Regarding the fourth quarter, he added: “I called those timeouts to break their momentum and remind our players to stay calm. I told them to keep the floor spread and not let the pressure get to them.”

Looking ahead, the coach remained hopeful: “We have to bring this same intensity to the next game. We may have had a rough season, but if we take it one game at a time, we can win this district tournament.”

With the win, Shiprock (4-23) advances to face top-seeded Gallup (15-12) on Wednesday night at Gallup High School. Miyamura finished its season with an overall record of 6-21, including a 5-6 mark in district play.

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