Tohatchi Lady Cougars secure second place in district race following dominant win over Newcomb

By Lee Begaye
Special to the Times

TOHATCHI – The Tohatchi Lady Cougars left no doubt about their standing in District 1-3A, storming past the Newcomb Lady Skyhawks 65-31 on senior night. With the win, Tohatchi solidified its hold on second place in the district rankings.

Junior forward Shylynn Johnson led the charge with 15 points, while junior guard Maddy Pasquale and senior forward Kayanna Capitan each added 12.

Newcomb’s biggest offensive threat was Lethia Yazzie, who finished with a game-high 16 points. The aggressive guard frequently attacked the rim, drawing fouls and converting 10 of 14 free throw attempts.

Tohatchi wasted no time taking control, jumping out to an 8-2 lead in the first two minutes behind 3-pointers from Johnson and senior guard Yaya Peterson. Their defensive pressure kept Newcomb in check, holding the Lady Skyhawks scoreless for nearly five minutes.

By the end of the first quarter, the Lady Cougars had built a commanding 21-7 lead, with seven different players contributing to the scoreboard. Johnson led with five points, while Dalilah Tsosie added four. For Newcomb, Yazzie accounted for most of the offense, scoring five points, including a 3-for-4 effort from the free throw line.

The Lady Skyhawks failed to hit a single field goal in the second quarter but managed to score nine points from the free throw line after making 15 trips to the stripe.

Meanwhile, Tohatchi continued to attack with ease, knocking down three 3-pointers and putting up 17 points. Hailey Grey Mountain, who joined the varsity squad midseason, provided a spark with seven points in the quarter, while Johnson added six more. By halftime, Tohatchi had stretched its lead to 38-16.

Tohatchi’s dominance continued into the third quarter, outscoring Newcomb 14-8. Capitan found her rhythm inside, sinking four field goals to lead the team with eight points in the frame. On the other end, Yazzie remained Newcomb’s lone bright spot, adding four points, while two of her teammates chipped in with a field goal each.

With the game well in hand, the Lady Cougars’ starters padded the scoreboard in the early minutes of the fourth before the reserves took over. Pasquale led the final frame with seven points as Tohatchi converted 3-of-6 free throws. For Newcomb, sophomore Delshay Henio and senior April Peshlakai each tallied three points.

After the game, Tohatchi head coach Tanisha Bitsoi highlighted her team’s progress since their last loss to Navajo Prep. “We are taking care of the ball, we are playing team basketball, and they have accepted their roles,” Bitsoi said. “The girls came out and played an excellent game, and I’m proud of them.”

With their home schedule wrapped up, the Lady Cougars (14-9, 8-2) now turn their attention to a pair of road games to close out the regular season. They travel to Wingate (14-10, 5-5) today, before finishing at Zuni (4-19, 0-9) on Feb. 20.

Newcomb (15-8, 4-5), meanwhile, has three games remaining on its schedule. The Lady Skyhawks will host Crownpoint (11-12, 3-6) today before traveling to Zuni on the Feb. 18. They’ll close out the regular season at home against district leader Navajo Prep (19-5, 10-0) on Feb. 20.