Hopi High sweeps Round Valley in Jan. 14 girls and boys basketball games

POLACCA, Ariz. — Hopi High swept Round Valley in girls and boys basketball games Jan. 14 at Hopi.

In the girls game, Hopi’s Taylor Seechoma led all scorers with 23 points and hit a rebound shot with four seconds left in the game as the Lady Bruins edged Round Valley 39-37.

Zoe Cook helped Hopi with 10 points, Tamminy Laraguttierez netted four points and Betty Dewakuku had a deuce. Samantha Madrid topped Round Valley with 11 points, Natalie Goodsell netted nine, Bailey Kirkham scored seven and Jessina Turquoise tossed in six points.

Seechoma scored seven points in the opening period as Hopi took an 11-7 edge. Kirkham kept Round Valley close with five points. Madrid netted five points in the second stanza as Round Valley went ahead 18-15 at halftime. Goodsell and Madrid scored five each in the third quarter as Round Valley stayed ahead 28-27 despite a seven point quarter by Taylor.

Taylor and Cook scored six points apiece in the final period as the game was tied 37-37 with 10 seconds left in the game. Hopi worked a play but Angela Adams missed the layup. That is when Taylor hit the rebound shot for the victory. Round Valley shot the ball from midcourt as time expired, but the shot missed.

Hopi High Coach Barry Honyouti said the Lady Bruins played better than its last games in this game. He said the offense was good in spurts, but had too many turnovers.

“That kept Round Valley in the game,” he said. “Our defense was good and that’s what kept us in the game. It was a good team effort.”

Coach Honyouti said the Lady Bruins rebounding is continuing to improve.

“Last time we played them they pushed us around. That didn’t happen this time,” he said.

Adams led the Lady Bruins on the boards with 15 rebounds.

Kyrane Yazzie fired in 26 points as the Hopi High boys beat Round Valley 62-55. Hopi had three players in double figures with Kendrick James tossing in 12 and Jihad Nodman netting 11. Jacob Lim and Steven Baker added five apiece for the Bruins.

Marshall Donaldson topped Round Valley with 26 points, Brady Durfield scored a dozen and Jacob McNeil added six points.

Yazzie poured in 14 points in the opening quarter as Hopi grabbed a 24-14 lead. Donaldson kept Round Valley close with ten points during the quarter.

In the second period, Durfield scored six and Donaldson five as Round Valley pulled within 35-34 at halftime. James and Donaldson scored five points for their respective teams in the third quarter as Hopi stayed ahead 46-45.

James tossed in eight points and James four in the final period as Hopi grabbed the victory.

Hopi High Coach Rick Baker said the Bruins played well in this game.

“It was one of our better games. We took the lead early and had it throughout the game. We worked hard during the last week on working to keep leads in games,” he said.

During the last two minutes of the game, Hopi went to its delay offense and it worked.

He said defensively their man-to-man defense fell apart, but they went to a matchup zone that worked well.

“That took away their penetration inside,” he said. “Defensively we were good after we made that change.”

Baker said Hopi won the game because in the fourth quarter they did a good job of taking care of the ball. He said Hopi held their own rebounding with Avery Tsosie leading the way. He said it was tough without Lattrell Lee who was out with a concussion. He hopes to get Lee back for this weekend’s games.

Baker credited Yazzie with leading the offense, but he said James is starting to hit his shots.

“We had three players in double figures and that’s what we want. This was a good win for us,” he said.

Baker said Yazzie’s eight points in the fourth quarter, including five of six from the free throw line, was crucial to the win.