Ganado downs Pinon, 77-54
3A Enchantment regionals
Santiago Ramos
Staff Sports Writer
GANADO, Ariz. - Ganado girls head coach Gwyn Grant still had last
year's heartbreaking last-second one-point regional loss to Pinon
still on her mind.
Luckily for Grant, the Lady Hornets dashed any hopes of a repeat of
last year's stunning upset loss as Ganado easily took care of Pinon
77-54 Wednesday night during the second round of the 3A Enchantment
Regionals.
In the other regional matchup Wednesday, No. 3 Monument Valley eliminated
No. 6 Window Rock 64-45.
No. 3 Monument Valley will go up against No. 2 Winslow Friday at 1
p.m. in the regional semifinals. In the other semifinal, top seed
Tuba City will take on No. 4 Ganado at 6:30 p.m. The girls consolation
game will be Saturday at 10 a.m. with the regional finals at 5 p.m.
All games will be at Winslow High. Tickets for each of the first three
sessions will be $5 general admission, $7 for reserved; for the finals,
general admission is $7, $10 for reserved.
Ganado 77, Pinon 45
GANADO, Ariz. - Ganado defeated Pinon for the third
time this season with a huge edge in shooting and rebounding but Hornet
coach Grant still had visions of last year's opening round loss to
the Lady Eagles.
"It (last year's loss) crossed my mind," Grant admitted
after her 20-10 Lady Hornets advanced to this weekend's regional final
four. "Luckily I was the only one that thought like that. With
a pressure game like this my girls took it at them. We broke down
their zone defense and press. They stuck with our game plan. It's
a great feeling to be going to state."
Pinon, which finished the season at 14-14, appeared
determined not to make a repeat of the other two conference losses
to Ganado by 17 and 11 points, in the opening period.
The Lady Hornets grabbed an early 11-4 lead that included a pair of
three-pointers by junior post Melissa Jones and junior guard Kendralyn
Jones. But the Lady Eagles, who returned their entire starting lineup
back from last year, battled back to tie the game with a 7-0 run on
a pair of scores by junior center Shantel Muzzie and capped by a trey
by sophomore guard Fawn Gene, who led Pinon with 21 points in a losing
effort.
But the Lady Hornets broke the tie with seven unanswered points with
a pair of putback scores by senior post Thalia James, who led all
scorers with 23 points.
Fueled by 10-of-15 shooting from the field in the second period, Ganado
took a 13-point 34-21 lead at intermission. The Lady Eagles struggled
with 5-of-16 shooting from the field in the second period.
In the third period Ganado broke the game wide open, thanks in part
to a 12 to 2 edge on the boards. A 13-point lead at halftime quickly
mushroomed up to 25 points, 51-26, late in the third period.
With a sizzling 8-of-11 shooting from the field in the
final period, Ganado had its biggest lead of the game at 29 points,
69-40, before settling for a 23-point win, 77-54.
Thalia James led all scorers with a game-high 23 points,
Melissa Jones, who scored 19 and 20 points in the previous two meetings
against Pinon, was close behind with 19 points while sophomore guard
Jolene Benally chipped in 11 points.
Fawn Gene led the Lady Eagles with 21 points while junior center Shantel
Muzzie kicked in 10 points in a losing effort.
From the free throw line, the Lady Hornets sank 14-of-23 free throws
for 61 percent while the Lady Eagles made 5-of-11 for 45 percent.
Ganado enjoyed an edge from the field and on the boards against Pinon.
The Lady Hornets shot 55 percent from the field, 30-of-55, while the
Lady Eagles shot just 34 percent, 23-of-68. In the rebounding department,
Ganado outrebounded Pinon 41 to 22.
Monument Valley 64, Window Rock 45
KAYENTA, Ariz. - No. 3 seed Monument Valley shut down
Window Rock's Bah Katenay and Roberta Haskie to a total of 10 points
combined en route to eliminating the Lady Scouts 64-45 Wednesday during
the second round of the 3A Enchantment Regionals.
"We changed our defense," Monument Valley coach Robert Nash
said. "We were better on defense this time. The last time we
played them Friday night Haskie scored 15 and had 15 rebounds. They
outrebounded us 3 to 1 the last time. This time we stressed blocking
out. We knew Window Rock would be up for us."
The 20-6 Lady Mustangs overcame an early 9-3 deficit to grab a 18-10
first period lead and led 34-17 at halftime. Monument Valley led 53-32
after three periods before winning by 19 points, 64-45.
Monument Valley had three starters in double figures
with Lorena Sullivan with 20 points, Miranda Todachine 19 and Delicia
Gransen 10.
Window Rock, which ended the season at 14-14 overall after an impressive
9-0 start, had Shawnavyn Joe with 12 points.
Andrian Chee chipped in eight points. Katenay, who pumped in 20 points
against Tuba City Saturday night, was held to seven points. Roberta
Haskie, who posted a pair of double-doubles in the last two games
including 20 points and 10 rebounds against Greyhills the night before
and 15 points and 15 rebounds against Monument Valley, was held to
just three points.
| Top |
Area in brief
Artist meeting
REHOBOTH — The Christian Artist meeting will be held at 4 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 20, at the Rehoboth Christian School Art Department.
Information: (505) 722-6935/ 863-4412, ext. 126.
Driving class
GALLUP — The AARP 55 Alive Mature Driving Class will be held
from 1-5 p.m. Feb. 22-23 at Ford Canyon Senior Center. Cost for both
sessions is $10. This is a classroom refresher course for motorists
age 50 and over who have years of driving experience. Information:
(505) 722-2417.
Newcomers
GALLUP — "A Bridge Between Old Friends and
New" will hold a potluck at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Gary and Maria
White's residence at 1094 Mountain View Drive. Anyone interested in
attending should call (505) 722-2228.
Song and Dance
CHINLE, Ariz. — A song and dance will be held at
noon Saturday at the old Chinle High School gym. Registration will
begin at 10 a.m.
Veterans' representative
CHINLE, Ariz. — A veterans' representative from
the Chinle Veterans Center will be at the following dates and locations
to meet one-on-one about veterans benefits:
Feb. 14 at the Tuba City Chapter House or Veterans'
Office and in Page at the Arizona DES/Navajo Workforce Dev. Office;
Feb. 15 at the Inscription House Chapter House and Kayenta
Chapter House;
Feb. 16 in Blanding, Utah, at the Dept. of Workforce
Offices, Aneth Chapter House and Red Mesa Chapter House;
Feb. 17 at Cove Chapter House, Teec Nos Pos Chapter
House and Rock Point Chapter House.
Song and Dance
KLAGETOH, Ariz. — An appreciation song and dance
for the Klagetoh Swingers will be held at noon Saturday at the Nakai
Hall Registration will be held at 10 a.m.
Country/western dance
HOUCK, Ariz. — The Houck Chapter veterans Valentine's country
western dance will be held from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday at the Houck
Chapter House. Information: (520) 688-2734.
Acoma woman appointed
SANTA FE — Gov. Gary E. Johnson announced some recent appointments
to boards and commissions.
Marilyn J. Johnson, Ph.D. of Pueblo of Acoma, was appointed to the
statewide Rehabilitation Advisory Council for the Blind for a term
expiring Sept. 30, 2001. Johnson is an educational consultant and
director of the Laguna Acoma Vocational Rehabilitation Project.
| Top |
Airstrip at Shiprock due for upgrades
S.J. Ludescher
Eastern Navajo Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — The Navajo Nation is planning to
make improvements to the Shiprock airstrip next month to make the
runway safer.
Moisture has undermined the clay soil on the northeast part of the
airstrip's runway, making it hazardous for airplane traffic, said
Ben Bennett, manager for the tribe's transportation program. However,
the runway problem is not extensive enough to close down the airstrip's
operation, he said.
Plans to improve the airport have been on the drawing board for several
years.
The tribe has received two grants from the Federal Aviation Administration
to make improvements to the airstrip. The two grants totaling $58,000
will pay for half the renovation and paving of 1,000 feet of the 5,100-foot
runway.
The Navajo Nation will match the grant money, bringing
the total cost of improvements to $116,000.
The Navajo Nation has been responsible for the maintenance
of the airstrip, which was built in the 1960s, but virtually no improvements
have been made to the facility since then.
The Shiprock airstrip is used primarily for emergencies, either medical
flights or small planes needing to make an unscheduled landing. Mesa
Airlines in Farmington also uses the airstrip to train its pilots,
Bennett said.
"There may be plans for a future expansion for
commuter plane use, but it's not there yet," he said.
While the grant money will cover immediate safety concerns,
it won't pay for the installation of lighting for nighttime use, which
is needed if the airport were to expand into commercial commuter service,
Bennett said.
Bennett would not set an exact starting date for the project, citing
weather conditions as delaying factors. After the work begins, however,
completion is expected within six to eight weeks.
| Top |
Family violence on rise, but funding
at same level
Tanya Brazil
Staff Writer
GALLUP — Domestic violence programs in New Mexico have not received
an increase in state funding in the last six years, yet the demand
for services this year is projected to increase.
The number of victims in the state is expected to increase
by 8 percent, says Michele Fuller, director of Battered Families'
Services in Gallup.
Insufficient funding, Fuller said, has its greatest
impact on the victims who must do without services. Services include
domestic violence education, helping victims identify their options
and support through the legal process, as well as assistance with
safety, food, clothing and transportation...
| Top |
Begaye OKs stiff fees on bootlegging
Din Bureau
GALLUP — Navajo Nation President Kelsey Begaye on Wednesday signed
into law amendments to tribal law that increase penalties for bootlegging.
The stiffer penalties were approved by the Navajo Nation Council during
its winter session. The new laws increase the maximum fine from $500
to $5,000 and jail sentences from six months to a year. Police also
are allowed to confiscate the property of bootleggers.
The amendments had a hard time making it into law. Citing several
concerns, Begaye vetoed the proposals last August and a revised version
was tabled by the council in October...
| Top |
Family seeks son's return
Teen jailed for murder; food sales pay legal fees
Bill Donovan
Din Bureau
GALLUP — A shack that sells Navajo food a few miles south of
Gallup has become the headquarters for a family's effort to get justice
for their son, Justin Fred.
Fred is in a San Juan County jail waiting to be sentenced after pleading
guilty to the second-degree murder of Sheridan Peters in San Juan
County last August. His family has not only stood behind him, but
his mother and father have spent the past five months raising money
for his defense by selling traditional Navajo foods.
"My son has been framed for murder," his father, Ernest
Fred, said Wednesday as he prepared fry bread, mutton stew and other
Navajo foods for customers...
| Top |
Bengal teams headed in different directions
Bengal preview
Alan Arthur
Sports Editor
GALLUP — The Gallup Bengal girls are hurting. Yet, they are on
the verge of clinching the No. 1 seed in District 1AAAA and possibly
going unbeaten through the district.
The Gallup Bengal boys may be healthier in the physical sense. But
they are headed in the other direction as far as success on the court
goes.
The No. 2 ranked Lady Bengals, unbeaten at 6-0 in the district to
go with their 18-1 overall record, host the Manzano Monarchs on Friday
night at Gallup High School and then travel to Albuquerque on Saturday
night to face the Rio Grande Ravens...
| Top |
Colorado town evicts dino exhibit
But Grants is willing to bail out museum
Tom Purdom
Staff Writer
GRANTS — No matter what handwriting may be on the wall, the city
of Grants appears willing to bail out the financially-troubled Dinosaur
Discovery Museum at the possible expense of local residents.
The Dinosaur Discovery museums in Grants and Fruita, Colo., are, at
first glance, remarkably similar except for one huge difference.
Each displays rubber and plastic robotics dinosaurs (not dinosaur
bones), each charges admission, each makes money from gift shops,
each is owned by Dinamation International Society, a not-for-profit
subsidiary of the for-profit robotics-making Dinamation International
Corp. of Irvine, Calif., and each refused to pay rent for the buildings
they occupied, buildings owned by the cities...
| Top |
Cops search for elderly woman
Nancy Watson
Din Bureau
GALLUP — Law enforcement agencies are searching the western Navajo
Reservation for Rose Manymules, 73, who has been missing since Jan.
22.
She was last seen hitchhiking nine miles south of Page on Highway
89 at 6 p.m.
Manymules is 5 feet, 1 inch tall and was last seen wearing traditional
Navajo clothing, including a red blouse, a green skirt and turquoise
jewelry. She may have been wearing a light gray and black coat. She
is not carrying any identification...
| Top |
Possible drought worries area ranchers
Zarana Sanghani
Staff Writer
GALLUP — Local ranchers are worried because the lack of snow
this winter may grow into a drought if spring and summer rains do
not make up for the absence of precipitation.
A customer at the CowTown Feed and Livestock store said he plans on
selling his livestock if it does not rain in 60 days, said Dudley
Byerley, the store's owner.
Byerley said he read weather forecasts and agricultural reports predicting
drought for New Mexico this year. Some reports foretell 10 years of
drought, he added...
| Top |
All contents property of the
Gallup Independent.
Any duplication or republication requires consent of the
Gallup
Independent.
Feel free to send any questions or comments to
gallpind@cia-g.com
E-mail the webmaster at
martyr_dom@hotmail.com
