3A Girls State Updates: No. 3 Show Low punches ticket to 3A state semis with 66-40 win over Fountain Hills

February 19, 2024 by Brian M. Bergner Jr., AZPreps365


Watch for updates on the 3A Girls State Basketball Championships from the Findlay Toyota Center in Prescott Valley on Monday, Feb. 19, 2024, at AzPreps365.com. (Brian M. Bergner Jr./AzPreps365)

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was updated at 7:49 p.m. Monday, Feb. 19, 2024. For more on today's 3A state games in Prescott Valley, scroll down for updates.

PRESCOTT VALLEY — Raquel Wilson scored 17 points, including 12 in the first half, and No. 3-seeded Show Low advanced to their second straight 3A state semifinals with a 66-40 win over Fountain Hills on Monday night.

It is the 12th win in 13 games for the Cougars (29-2, 9-1 3A East), which now face a tough test against No. 2-ranked Window Rock in their Final Four game Friday at Arizona Veteran's Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix.

Two 3-pointers by Alicia Ibarra kept Fountain Hills close in the first quarter, but Show Low used a 36-19 run over the next two periods to put this game away.

"I thought we played well togehter as a team. We did a few things differently defensively that I thought worked well," Show Low head coach Christie Francis said. "We're excited to go back, hopefully with a different outcome than last year."

Alchesay beat the Cougars in the 3A state championship a season ago, 52-35.

"Obviously we need to worry about Window Rock before anyone else," Francis said about her team's focus right now.

Show Low has wins this season against Monument Valley, Chinle and Flagstaff, so Window Rock's style of play won't be anything new for the Cougars.

"We know the style that all these teams who are in it are going to play. We just got to go in and impose our will, as coach Moore would say, and do what we do to the best of our ability," Francis said.

Seesee Smith had 19 for the Falcons (23-5, 12-0 3A North Central), which saw their 14-game winning streak come to an end.

#2 WINDOW ROCK 45, #7 MONUMENT VALLEY 38

PRESCOTT VALLEY — Asanyah Begaye scored 10 points, Jada Brown hit 4 of 6 free throws down the stretch and No. 2-seeded Window Rock hung on for a 45-38 win over Monument Valley on Monday afternoon.

It is the second straight Final Four appearance for the Scouts (26-4, 13-2 3A North), which are looking to hoist a championship trophy for the first time since 2011.

"The girls, they fought from the beginning to the end. Monument Valley had that run in the first, second quarter, so at halftime we had regroup and do what we had to do. I talked to the girls, and, 'This is win or go home,'" Window Rock head coach Gabrielle Whitney said. 

The Scouts lost to eventual state champ Alchesay in the 3A state semifinals a seasona go.

No. 7 Monument Valley (19-11, 9-6 3A North) led 25-23 at halftime, but scored only four points in the third quarter and were 1 for 7 from the free-throw line in the fourth in the loss.

They were 5 of 17 from the charity stripe on the game.

Keiryn Mann was the only Mustang in double figures with 10 points, scoring eight in the first half.

When asked if her players will be more focused on No. 1-seeded Page, who they split with during the regular season to come in second in the 3A North region, only to beat them in the 3A North Region Tournament on Feb. 19, 57-51, Whitney said they had to focus on one game at a time.

"Right now, we accomplished one of our goals. Another obsticale," Whitney said about making the 3A state semifinals. "Now, win or lose, we need to worry about the game Friday. Practice on that, worry about. Then continue from there."

Next week, Window Rock takes on the winner of the Fountain Hills-Show Low game. Page faces Chinle in the other semifinal Friday, Feb. 23, in Phoenix.

#13 CHINLE 62, #5 SNOWFLAKE 55 (OT)

PRESCOTT VALLEY — Jorja Vasquez and Dishoon White each scored 17 points to lead No. 13-seeded Chinle past No. 5 Snowflake in overtime 62-55 on Monday afternoon.

The Wildcats (15-16, 6-8 3A North) squadered a 44-35 lead early in the fourth quarter when the Lobos went on a 12-2 run capped by a pair of free throws from Nicole Hipps with 3:47 to play.

"It was our defense. We got lazy, we started fouling, and we let them take over a bit. And we had to lock that back down, and step up our defnese. That's all it really was," Chinle head coach Francine McCurtain said.

Snowflake forward Kloah Ulberg used a nifty spin move under the bucket at the buzzer to tie the game, 52-52, and send it into overtime.

But Chinle wouldn't be denied, outscoring Snowflake (20-8, 9-2 3A East) 10-3 in the extra period, advancing to the 3A state semifinals at Arizona Venteran's Memorial Coliseum next weekend in Phoenix.

Vasquez hit 5 of 6 from the free-throw line, including her last four to seal the deal for Chinle.

"We have that record, but we didn't have my big, No. 50 (White), the first part of the season. And then there's games that we should have won that we didn't finish, so, we're going to make sure we compete and do our best. Just like tonight," McCurtain said. "Free throws were the key, and I'm glad we made them at the end."

Chinle will take on Page in the 3A state semifinal Friday, Feb. 23. Tipoff is yet to be determined.

#1 PAGE 61, #24 ALA-WEST FOOTHILLS 25

PRESCOTT VALLEY — Sofia Cambridge scored 20 points, Alyssa Harris added 18 and No. 1-seeded Page took care of business in the 3A state quarterfinals with a 61-25 win over ALA-West Foothills on Monday afternoon.

It is the 14th win in the past 15 games for the Sand Devils (21-5, 12-3 3A North), which started the game on a 10-0 run after Harris hit a free throw and never looked back.

"We played a hell of a game today. We followed the game plan ... and we continue to do what we normally do being from the 3A North, lots of ball pressure, run transition 'O' and pressure as much as we can against them," Page head coach Celest Claw said, adding that winning a state title this year would mean a lot.

"It would mean alot to these girls. We only made it in the second round the past few years, so it means a lot to make the Final Four," Claw said.

ALA-West Foothills held on to the Cinderella slippers as long as possible, upsetting No. 9 Pusch Ridge in overtime, 49-44, then beating No. 8 Coolidge 53-44 to advance to the 3A state quarterfinals at Findlay Toyota Center.

Iza Juarez led the Guardians (15-12, 10-2 3A West) with 14 points, but no other player scored in double figures.

Brian M. Bergner Jr. has covered professional, collegiate and high school sports for more than 20 years. Follow him on Twitter @AzPreps365Brian. Have a story idea? Email Brian at bbergner@azpreps365.com.