Monument Valley Mustangs vs Tuba City Warriors

February 25, 2011 In Friday's Arizona 3A State Basketball Semi Final game, the Monument Valley Mustangs (Kayenta, AZ) beat the host Tuba City Warriors (Tuba City, AZ), by a score of 37-25.

The Mustangs (22-7) will now prepare for the 3A state championship game against Window Rock (Fort Defiance, AZ). The Fighting Scouts bring a record of 28-1. In their last outing, Window Rock gained a win over Safford (Safford, AZ), 48-38, in the other semi final game.

Here are the highlights from the 2011 Arizona 3A State Girls Basketball Semi Final Game between the Monument Valley Mustangs vs Tuba City Warriors.

With her senior year set to end in a few months, Kayenta Monument Valley center Bradley Nash's trophy case is pretty cluttered with a basketball championship and three volleyball titles in her high school athletic career. But if she absolutely has to, Nash is sure she can find space for one more trophy. "Of course," she said. Nash and her No. 3 Monument Valley teammates will have the chance to add another state championship to their resume after they took out No. 2 Tuba City 37-25 in a Class 3A semifinal Friday at Jobing.com Arena. Not only did Nash turn in a game-high 11 points, but her defense was key in thwarting many of Tuba City's chances, especially late in the game. "She's our main inside playmaker so she also played the middle on defense, and she does well on everything she does," Monument Valley coach Robert Nash said. "She tries hard. The team just kind of accepts her leadership." Nerves seemed to dominate the first quarter as the rambunctious crowd that bordered the court shined more than the action on display. The first seven shots of the game were missed, and Tuba City (23-9) carried a 5-2 advantage near the midway point. Monument Valley (22-7) rallied, and a free throw by Bradley Nash with three seconds left tied it at 9-9. The action opened up in the second quarter, and Monument Valley outscored Tuba City 5-1 to take a 14-10 lead into the break. Both teams traded scores in the third, and tight play dealt a 24-24 game entering the final quarter. There Monument Valley's experience prevailed, as it scored 13 points to Tuba City's one. A handful of the Monument Valley players have been part of championship pursuits with either the basketball or volleyball team. "Every final that you go to works to your advantage, and that's all I ask of these young ladies," Robert Nash said. "Just use your experience, what you went through, and do what it takes to win ball games."

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