Monument Valley beats Hopi in 2nd round game
KAYENTA-Monument Valley scored six points in the final seconds to beat the determined Hopi, 62-56, in girls high school basketball action Feb. 7 at Monument Valley High School.
This second round game allowed Monument Valley to proceed to the next round of the 3A North playoffs while Hopi finished their season.
Ingrique Salt, Chantel Kescoli and Robin Curleyhair scored baskets in the final 12 seconds to give the Lady Mustangs the victory.
Salt led Monument Valley with 16 points, Kescoli poured in 15, Curleyhair fired in 13, Kara Greymountain netted nine, Lucinda Stanley pitched-in with seven and Cynthia Wilson added a deuce.
Courtney Outie paced Hopi with 25 points, Annalese Nasafotie poured in ten, Amanda Clark and Lisa Attakai netted a half dozen points apiece, Nadia Nelson finished with five, and Marleita Burbank and Samantha Lucas scored a deuce each.
Outie and Kescoli matched each other with 11 points in the first period as Hopi grabbed a 19-16 edge.
Salt poured in eight and Stanley added five points as the Lady Mustangs led 33-30 at halftime. Outie and Nasafotie scored four points each in the second period to keep Hopi close.
Outie and Nasafotie netted six points each in the third period as Hopi tied the score 48-48 going to the final period. Curleyhair scored seven for Monument Valley during the third quarter.
Salt poured in eight points in the final period to help the Lady Mustangs ride to victory. Outie and Clark scored four each for Hopi in the fourth quarter to set up the final 12-second situation.
Hopi High coach Ben Willey said Hopi played one of its best games of the year against Monument Valley.
"Offensively this was one of our best games of the year. We were patient. We made our cuts and our picks, but we missed a lot of short shots in the fourth quarter," he said.
Coach Willey also praised the Hopi defense. He credited Clark and Nelson for leading the defense.
"Our defense played well. We held their high scorers down much more than in the past," he said.
Coach Willey said Hopi kept up on the backboards with Monument Valley. Outie and Nelson hauled down 10 rebounds each for the Lady Bruins.
Coach Willey said one of the reasons that Hopi lost the game in the final 12 seconds is that they lacked the playoff experience.
"We've not been there to face this pressure. We came close, but lost it at the end," he said.
Hopi is losing seven seniors to graduation: Courtney Outie, Nadia Nelson, Amanda Clark, Lisa Attakai, Marleita Burbank, Carey Sakeva and Samantha Lucas.
But the Lady Bruins will have seven returners, including Annalese Nasafotie, Adrianna Preston, Nichole Kisto and Khyrstal Youvella.
"Our expectation next year is to make it to state," Coach Willey said. "We also expect to get 20 wins."
Hopi finished the season 11-16 overall and 3-11 in conference. This left Coach Willey eight short of 100 career wins.
"This year we built the foundation for a successful program," he said. "I can't say enough about how hard our girls played. They gave it everything they had and they just came out a little short at the end."
Coach Willey said the highlight of the year was beating Winslow, winning the opening round of the playoffs and almost beating Monument Valley in the second round.
"We won more games in conference than in recent years," he said. "We saw overall improvement from the start to the end of the season."
Coach Willey said the Lady Bruins will continue during the off season by hitting the weight room and attending summer camps.
"We'll be doing a lot in the spring and the summer," he said.
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