Monument Valley girls are 3-1 to start season after strong play in opening weeks

by Rhett Sifford
Sports Editor
The Monument Valley High School girls basketball team got their season underway this past Thursday through Saturday, December 4-6 at the annual Jerry Richardson Memorial Invitational.
In the season opener they built a 22-12 lead over Newcomb, NM throughout the course of the first half, but were outscored by the Lady Skyhawks 45-14 in the second half, suffering a tough 57-36 loss.
The Lady Cougars could have hung their heads and struggled through the remainder of the tournament, but instead they went to work, earning two nice wins and improving to 2-1 on the season.
In their second game of the Richardson Invite the girls came up against Hozho Academy, who hail from Gallup, NM. This time it was Monument Valley’s turn for a second-half rally.
Trailing 19-15 after the first half of play the Lady Cougars heated up offensively in the second half. They outscored the Lady Wolves 31-15 in the third and fourth quarters, pulling off a solid 46-34 comeback win.
In the closing game of the weekend Monument Valley faced the Thoreau Lady Hawks from Thoreau, NM. The Lady Cougars exploded for 62 points, leaving Thoreau in the dust 62-45.
To start this week the Monument Valley girls headed south again on Monday, December 8 to play Many Farms, AZ. They dominated the Lady Lobos in their second straight blowout win 76-36, improving to 3-1 on the season.
To this point in the still-young season senior Dakotah Cly is leading the way for Monument Valley with a very impressive 93 points – an average of 23.3 points per game.
Taylor Stanley, also a senior, has scored 37 points in her first four games for an average of 9.3 points per game. Ayainna Cly weighs in with 30 points for a 7.5 average.
Junior Malaya Blackmountain has 24 points in four games and Nesbah Hunt rounds out the top five with 18 points in three games. Both of those players are averaging six points per game.
Not surprisingly Dakotah Cly leads the team with four three-point baskets. Blackmountain and Hunt have hit one apiece so far this season.
The Lady Cougars won’t play for the remainder of this week, but they’ll hit the ground running in the week leading up to the Christmas Break.
On Tuesday, December 16 the girls host Chinle, then on Thursday, December 18 they begin play at the Panther Winter Classic hosted by Pinnacle Academy in Price.
Monument Valley will take on at least four opponents at that three-day tournament, including Maeser Prep, Vanguard Academy, Tabiona, and Milford.