Basketball Archives - Page 4 of 7

Heritage Hawks, from 1-5 to 10-7, eyeing District playoffs

Hawks vs. Lobos game held Saturday, January 23. Photo/Micheal Rios — Hawks vs. Lobos.
Photo/Micheal Rios

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

Back on Monday, December 27, the Heritage Hawks were coming off an 18 point loss to the hands of Neah Bay. The loss dropped them to 1-5 on the season and near the bottom of the Northwest 1B league standings, only one win better than winless Grace Academy. The outlook was bleak, as the Hawks had graduated four of their senior starters from last season, and this present team resembled nothing near the squad that went to the Tri-District tournament last February.

Fast forward a month and nearly everything has changed. The wins came in waves; first a was a four-game win streak with victories over Lummi, Rainer Christian, Lopez Island, and Lummi a second time. The momentum was stopped cold on Monday, January 11, with a lopsided home defeat to the then undefeated Orcas Christian. In that loss, the Hawks scored a meager 33 points, which the lowest a Tulalip team has scored in over five years. However, the Hawks didn’t allow the sting of that loss to linger as they quickly got back to their winning ways.

First up was an away game vs. Grace Academy on Wednesday, January 13. The Hawks made quick work of Grace, who remains winless on the season, by running away with the game early. The final score was 58-22.

Next up was another away game, as the Hawks traveled to Redmond to take on Providence Classical Christian. The Hawks took a large lead early, but had a defensive letdown in the 2^nd quarter, allowing Providence to cut into their lead. At half time the Hawks led by only 4 points, 26-22. After reengaging defensibly, the Hawks were able to force turnover after turnover and convert easy transition buckets. Josh Iukes scored 14 points, Willy Enick had a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Robert Miles had his first triple-double of the season with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. The Hawks won 61-40.

The third game of their road trip was against Lopez Island on Tuesday, January 19. After trailing 11-12 going in the 2^nd quarter, the Hawks were struggling to find their offensive rhythm. That is until Josh Iukes took the reins and had his best game of the season by far. Josh finished the game scoring a game high and season high 27 points, but most importantly led his team to a 50-37 victory.

Hawks play against Providence Classical Christian.Photo/Micheal Rios — Hawks play against Providence Classical Christian.
Photo/Micheal Rios

After going 3-0 on their road trip, the Hawks came back home on Thursday, January 21, to host Providence Classical Christian. There would be no defensive letdowns this time around vs. Providence, as the Hawks took a 16-6 1^st quarter lead that turned into a 35-17 lead at halftime. The Hawks would go onto to win 64-38, stretching their winning streak to four games. Robert Miles led all scorers with 20 points, while Willy Enick and Josh Iukes both chipped in 15 points.

For the second time this season the Hawks were riding a four-game winning streak into a big time matchup. This time around it was against Lummi Nation, played at home on Friday, January 22. After winning their first two games vs. Lummi the Hawks were confident they could win again, but were a little on edge as Lummi had just beaten the previously undefeated Orcas Christian only days earlier.

The game started out competitive. The Hawks trailed 7-11 after the 1^st quarter, and with only two minutes to go to halftime it was a three-point game, 14-17. To this point the Hawks had pretty much matched Lummi in terms of effort and hustle. Both teams defensive was making it difficult to find easy shots. Then Lummi went on a run. They closed the half on a 2-7 run, leaving the Hawks trailing 16-24 at halftime. It would only get worse from there. The Hawks weren’t able to keep up their defense and weren’t able to run their offensive sets in the 3^rd quarter. Tulalip got outscored 13-33 in the quarter and trailed 29-55 going into the final eight minutes. Unable to mount any kind of comeback the Hawks lost 54-78, ending their four-game win streak.

Fortunately, the Hawks had a game the very next day vs. Lopez Island, so they didn’t have to dwell too long on their loss to Lummi. The Hawks hosted the Lobos on Saturday, January 23, and made short work of the visitors in a 46-30 victory.

So after a very disappointing 1-5 start to the season, the Hawks have bounced back to go 9-2 over their last eleven games. Currently sitting at 10-7 (9-3 within their league), the Hawks are in 2^nd place in the standings with only three regular season games to go before the District playoffs. The Hawks have proven that they are clearly one of the best teams in the league, along with Orcas Christian and Lummi. The question is, are they able to contend against either when they face off at Districts? We’ll find out soon enough, as the District tournament starts on Friday, February 5.

Hawks offense turns stagnant in 33-65 loss

Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

The Tulalip Heritage basketball team (5-5) hosted the Saints from Orcas Christian (6-0) at Francy J. Sheldon gymnasium on Monday, January 11. After the 1-5 start to the season, the Hawks had returned to their winning ways and were on a 4-game win streak that propelled them into 2^nd place in their Northwest 1B league. The only team above them in the standings? The undefeated Orcas Christian team.

These teams previously played on December 10. It was a highly contested match that saw the Hawks lose a late lead as the referees took over the game and sent Orcas to the free throw line time and time again. The Hawks would lose the game 52-61.

Coming into the rematch the Hawks were confident they would avenge their previous loss and continue their win streak. Orcas Christian had other plans however. The 1^st quarter yielded the worst offense output from the Hawks all season, just 5 points, as they trailed 5-12 going into the 2^nd quarter. Whether it was due to the 2-3 zone Orcas applied that clogged the paint and forced the Hawks to keep the ball on the perimeter, or the Hawks missing close, albeit contested, shots at the rim, the Hawks just were unable to get into a groove offensively.

In the 2^nd quarter, senior forward Willy Enick did away with the game plan and found his own offense through isolation plays and some timely shooting. Willy scored 8points in the quarter and had 10 of the team’s 17 points at halftime.

Trailing 17-27 entering the 3^rd quarter, the Hawks looked to rebound quickly by putting more defense pressure on the Orcas points guard, Michael Harris. Unfortunately, that game plan didn’t come to fruition as Harris repeatedly was able to cut through the Hawks defense and either score a layup or find an open teammate for a quality look from 3-point territory. The Hawks would be outscored 6-27 in the quarter, making the score 23-54 going into the final quarter.

The Hawks would go on to lose the game 33-67, snapping their win streak. The 33 points was the lowest offensive output on the season. Willy led all Hawks scorers with 17 points.

Now, with a 5-6 record, the Hawks remain in 2^nd place in their league but know they have work to do. They have to clean up the offense and defense if they want to have a good showing at the District Tournament next month, where they’ll likely face this same Orcas Christian team who has beaten them twice now.

The Hawks next home game is Friday, January 22^,vs. the Lummi Blackhawks.

Lady Hawks continue dominant season with 58-38

by Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

On Monday, January 5, the Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks (8-0) hosted the Lopez Lobos (2-4) at Francy J. Sheldon gymnasium. For the Lady Hawks, it’s been smooth sailing through the first eight games of the season. Owners of an undefeated record and winning by an average margin of 24 points, the Lady Hawks are on a dominating form of cruise control.

The dominance has been showcased on both ends of the floor, as they are averaging a league high 52 points per game while holding their opponents to a measly 29 points per game.

In the 1^st quarter of Monday’s game, the Lady Hawks displayed everything that’s been working for them thus far. They were able to work the ball inside to Adiya Jones and Cyena Fryberg at will, their ability to draw a double team opens up wide open looks for wing players, and those wings have been knocking down the good looks. Then on the defensive end, the Lady Hawks use a nice combination of 2-3 zone and full court press to either force their opponents into a highly contested jump shot or a turnover. The home team led 17-9 at the end of the quarter.

In the 2^nd quarter, guard Keryn Parks caught fire from 3-point land, making three straight 3-pointers. Aliya Jones chipped in a 3-pointer of her own, while Adiya started to have her way inside scoring three fields goals in the paint. Defensively, the Lady Hawks were putting on a clinic. It seemed like every other possession they would come up with a steal or block. Forcing so many turnovers left the Lobos dazzled and they weren’t able to do much scoring. At halftime the home team had a 20 point lead, 38-18.

During the 2^nd half, with such a large lead, coach Bubba Fryberg was afforded the opportunity to give his bench players some heavy minutes. It was good a learning experience for the Lady Hawk reserves as they tried to run their offensive sets while remaining active on the defensive end.

When the final game buzzer sounded, the Lady Hawks had moved to 9-0 on the season with a 58-38 win. Keryn led all scorers with a career best 21 points, while Adiya filled the box score with 13 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals and 5 blocks.

Contact Micheal Rios, mrios@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Hawks on 3-game win streak, beat Lobos 59-33

Hawks_1 — photo/Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

by Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

After a disappointing 1-5 start, the Tulalip Heritage Hawks have turned their season around with a 3-game win streak. Their latest win came at home on Monday, January 5, when they hosted the Lobos of Lopez Island.

Defensively, the Hawks opened the game with active hands and constant movement. They contested every Lobos shot and forced several turnovers that they were able to turn into easy transition points. The Hawks rode the hot hand of Josh Iukes, 13 points in the first half, and their suffocating team defense to the tune of a 30-9 halftime lead.

The game would tighten up in the 2^nd half. However, seniors Robert Miles, Jr. and Willy Enick put the offense on their backs and combined to score 21 points down the stretch to secure the victory. The 59-33 win moved the Hawks record to 4-5 on the season and only 1 game below .500.

Hawks drop season opener to MP, 52-58

by Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

The Heritage Hawks basketball team opened their season with a home game vs. the Marysville-Pilchuck Tomahawk JV team on Wednesday, December 2. Last year, the Hawks defeated the MP JV team 70-54 in their season opener, their first win on route to a 13-5 regular season and a deep run into the 1B Tri-District tournament. This season is going to be quite different however, as the Hawks graduated four senior starters last year. Returning to the team is Robert Miles, Willy Enick and Nashone Whitebear. There will be an adjustment period as they are joined by a bunch of new players who are still learning the offensive and defensive sets the Hawks typically run.

Keys to a successful season will be senior Robert Miles continuing to be that do-it-all player for the Hawks, leading the hawks in scoring while anchoring the defense, and for senior Willy Enick to take on a larger role on both sides of the ball. These two will have to lean on key contributions from their teammates and the hope is sophomore Josh Iukes will be able to fill that primary ball handler roll.

The 1^st half was a turnover fest for the Hawks as they tried to force too many difficult passes, choosing to lob passes over the top instead of using a crisp bounce pass. The Hawks overcame the turnovers in the 1^stquarter, taking a 9-6 into the 2^nd quarter.

When Josh Iukes found himself in foul trouble seconds into the 2^nd quarter, picking up three quick ones, it really hurt the Hawks game plan. He had to hit the bench, taking the Hawks point guard off the court. The turnover continued to pile on while MP went on a 21-10 run spanning the quarter. At halftime, the Hawks trailed 16-27.

In the 3^rd quarter, the Hawks came out determined to take the lead back. Defensively, it was their best quarter of the game. Everyone was staying active, contesting shots, and going after rebounds. The Hawks got within 4 points, 29-33, late in the 3^rd quarter. In the closing seconds Josh Iukes picked up his 4^th personal foul moments before MP’s Raequan Battle, a fellow Tulalip tribal member, launched a 3-pointer that swished in.

The Hawks were down 7 points, 29-36, with one quarter left to play. They executed their defensive press nicely, forcing key turnover and finishing layups on offense, allowing them to cut their deficit to only 2 points, trailing 38-40 with a little over five minutes to go. When Josh Iukes fouled out of the game, it become that much more difficult to take the lead. The Hawks continued to keep pace, but weren’t able to pull the victory. MP would take the game 58-52, leaving the Hawks to ponder what could have been if not for all the costly turnovers.

Lady Hawks open season in dominant fashion, win 64-22

by Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

Coming off a very forgettable 2-18 season last year, the Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks came into the season with a renewed sense of purpose: returning back to their winning ways and making a run at the District 1B title. The team was revamped in the off season as key additions Adiya Jones, Aliya Jones, Keryn Parks and Desirae Williams joined the team. Coming back from last year is Michelle Iukes, Myrna Redleaf, Cyena Fryberg and Kaenishia Herrera. This year’s team has all the components necessary for a winning season and a deep playoff push.

Starting off the season, the Lady Hawks hosted the Marysville-Pilchuck Tomahawks C-team at Francy J. Sheldon gymnasium on Wednesday, December 2. It was obvious from the get go that the Tomahawks C-team, a team of all freshman, didn’t have the experience to deal with a player the likes of Lady Hawks forward/center Adiya Jones. Coming off a year in which she led La Connor High School to the state playoffs and earned All-State First Team honors, Adiya took full advantage of the mismatches she had on offense.

The Lady Hawks came out firing on all cylinders as they quickly took an 18-2 1^st quarter lead, a lead they never relinquished. It was impressive to watch Lady Hawks guard Myrna Redleaf hound the ball-handlers of MP all game long. Her on the ball defense made it very difficult for the MP players to pass the ball or even attempt a shot. Nothing came easy for MP, as the Lady Hawks kept active on defensive, jumping the passing lanes and contesting all shot attempts.

In the 2^nd quarter, the Lady Hawks continued to dominate the game on both sides of the ball, taking a 36-9 lead into halftime.

In the 3^rd quarter, Keryn Parks and Aliya Jones both forced multiple turnovers which led to easy layups for their team. Adiya continued to have her way in the paint both offensively and defensively, to the tune of 34 points through 3 quarters and only a handful of shot attempts for MP coming near the rim.

Going into the 4^th quarter, the Lady Hawks led 60-17 and gave coach Bubba Fryberg the perfect opportunity to give his bench and role players quality minutes to build up their on-court experience. This time is critical for the long-term success of the Lady Hawks, especially in close games where every player, every play is crucial to earning a W.

When the buzzer sounded signaling end of game, the Lady Hawks had won 64-22.

“It feels really good to be playing my final season of high school ball back at home, for Heritage,” said Adiya following the lopsided victory. “Being able to play with my sister is huge as well. We’re so familiar with each other’s game that it makes it easier to run our offense. There are some areas as a team we’ll look to improve on in practice, but it should all come together soon.”

Ball Is Life: Empowering and creating lasting impact through basketball

Gary Payton with Native youth during basketball camp.Photo/Micheal Rios — Gary Payton with Native youth during basketball camp.
Photo/Micheal Rios

by Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

On Saturday, September 19, the Tulalip Youth Center hosted Gary Payton’s youth basketball camp. Targeting basketball players in the 5-12 and 13-18 age range, the camp offered skill development under the supervision of the Seattle SuperSonics Hall of Famer and legend, “The Glove”. Presented in partnership with RISE ABOVE, Elite Youth Camps and the Tulalip Tribes, the basketball camp marked the launch of a new movement to empower and create resilience in future leaders in Indian Country using sports as a modality.

RISE ABOVE was founded by Jaci McCormack, an enrolled member of the Nez Perce Tribe, to empower Native youth to live a healthy lifestyle and provide awareness, prevention and character enrichment using the sport of basketball as a platform. The purpose is to connect with the urban Native youth on a level that they can relate to and understand in order to create a lasting impact on their lives.

“I have worked with some extremely talented and passionate people who helped develop the Native youth initiative: RISE ABOVE,” explains McCormack. “Although the vehicle to attract youth is basketball, we are dedicated to empower youth through education and prevention. RISE ABOVE basketball, RISE ABOVE your circumstance to live your best life each day. Along with our message, we are excited to bring the star sizzle to tribal communities, while creating more local heroes for our youth.”

Elite Youth Camps organizes camps, clinics, tournaments and non-profit community events for professional athletes and their respective teams. In our case the professional athlete was Hall of Famer Gary Payton and his team of 100+ Tulalip youth who were registered for basketball camp. With the assistance of Payton, Elite Youth Camps taught our youth the importance of hard work, teamwork, discipline and self-respect. Their focus was to provide the young Tulalip athletes of all skill levels with the instructions and training that have made some of the NBA’s brightest stars elite on and off the court.

“This organization was developed from its love for education, athletics, and philanthropy,” says David Hudson, affectionately known as Coach Dave by his campers, and owner of Elite Youth Camps. “We emphasize that sports are similar to life; what you put in, you get in return.”

Coach Dave uses his immense background in basketball, as well as his relationships with professional athletes to plan and execute the best camps around. He graduated from Rainier Beach High School in Seattle before playing college ball at the University of Washington. When his playing career concluded he decided to combine his love for basketball and his passion for helping the youth and made Elite Youth Camps a reality.

As an urban youth just wanting to play basketball, Coach Dave remembers attending Gary Payton’s youth basketball camp as a child and the lasting effect Payton’s camp left with him.

“He was my favorite player growing up. I do what I do because of my experiences at his camp.” says Coach Dave. “I try to do for kids what camp did for me: spark an interest and just teach work ethics, discipline and all the skills you’ve got to have in life no matter what you want to do. Even if you are a doctor or a librarian, you have to know when to be quiet, know to project yourself when you speak, and work hard at whatever you do. We want to teach life lessons that are bigger than basketball.”

Though Coach Dave primarily leads the basketball drills with help from his assistance coaches, “The Glove” is ever-present with campers who get plenty of opportunities for autographs and pictures with the nine-time NBA All-Star.

The camp started at 9:00 a.m. Saturday morning and continued until 4:00 p.m. The camp was broken up into two 3-hour sessions. The early session was all about basic basketball fundamentals and technique on the individual level, while the afternoon session focused on group drills emphasizing sportsmanship and teamwork.

In between sessions the 100 or so Tulalip campers had a 1-hour break to enjoy their catered lunch provided by Youth Services. During the lunch hour, camp coaches and volunteers were able to explain and pass-out a wellness survey to the kids. The survey, consisting of questions regarding drugs, alcohol, bullying and self-awareness, will be used as a barometer to get a general feel for the wellness of the Tulalip youth. Results of the surveys will be compiled and processed by RISE ABOVE before being passed on to our own Youth Services department.

Also, during the lunch break it came to the attention of the syəcəb that there was a handful of Native youth who made quite a journey to Tulalip to participate in the camp and meet Gary Payton. A family with three eager young basketball players came from the Confederated Tribe of the Colville Reservation, while another family, the Vanderburgs, journeyed all the way from the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) of the Flathead Reservation, located in northwest Montana. The Vanderburgs held a frybread and chili dog fundraiser at their local community center in order to pay for their kids’ entry fees and travel expenses for the Tulalip basketball camp.

Proud mother Chelsi Vanderbug said, “It was a lot of work to get my son and daughter here, but I knew it would pay off. All the staff and coaches of this camp are people who really care about the youth. They had very good speeches about their journeys in life and provided lots of motivation on the importance of education and making good choices. Gary Payton was all about getting the right message to the youth about how they are our future. I was very impressed. My kids truly enjoyed this camp and opportunity to attend.”

Concluding the camp, each coach shared heart felt words with the kids and thanked them all for allowing the coaches the opportunity to work with them. The last to speak was the icon Mr. Gary Payton.

“It’s been a pleasure for me to be here today. This gave me the experience to go back home and be able to say that I worked with a group of kids who love the game of basketball, but who love themselves even more. I love and admire each and every one of you. I hope that when I come back, all of you who are here today will be able to tell me your goals in life and plans to achieve them. Everything will not always go your way. There will be both losses and wins, like with basketball, but if you give everything your best shot and learn the lessons along the way, you will come out a winner.”

GaryPayton_web-last — Photo/Micheal Rios

Gary Payton Youth Skills Academy at Tulalip

Upcoming native youth basketball skills academy in partnership with Rise Above & Elite Youth Camps, Saturday September 19th 2015 from 9am-4pm located at the Tulalip Youth Center. Ages 5-18, must be a Tulalip Tribal member. Pre-registration is suggested, stop by the Don Hatch Youth Center.

3-on-3 tournament takes over Tulalip Teen Center

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

Over the weekend of July 25 and 26, the Tulalip Teen Center hosted an ages 16 and up, 3-on-3 basketball tournament. Originally slated to be an All-Native tournament, it was amended to ‘open’ status, meaning anyone could play, last minute in order to field enough teams for ample competition. Similar to the very popular Hoopfest tournament held in Spokane every year, the Tulalip 3-on-3 featured multiple games being played at the same time, all made baskets inside the 2-point arc count as one point, while all made baskets outside the 3-point arc count as two points, and the winning team is determined by the first to score 21 points (must win by two).

In total there were 12 teams who participated in the Tulalip 3-on-3, varying in age and ability. While teams were primarily comprised of Native players, most from Tulalip, there were also Natives from Lummi, Puyallup, Yakama, and Metlakatla, Alaska. The open status of the tournament made it possible for D-II collegiate basketball player Juwan Buchanan, of Adams State University, to showcase his talents on the Tulalip hardwood. The non-native Buchanan is originally from Seattle, WA and was in the area participating in the 2015 Seattle Basketball Pro-Am, one of the premier competitive summer men’s basketball leagues in the United States. Needless to say that with his talents, his team was the early favorite to win it all.

To facilitate the most entertaining and competitive tournament possible, tournament coordinator Lonnie Enick tweaked the day one schedule from single elimination games to pool play on Saturday and moved the single elimination games, based on seeding, to Sunday. All the hoopers enthusiastically agreed with the decision because it meant each team would be playing five games on Saturday and would be guaranteed at least one more game on Sunday. A six game guarantee for only a $100 buy-in per team is major deals for any basketball tournament.

Day one of pool play got started at 9:00 a.m. and went very smoothly, with the more talented teams getting their reps in for the day to come, while the less competitive teams enjoyed being able to spend the day just having fun while playing basketball. After the day’s pool play was over, the seedings were determined for the day two single elimination bracket.

Day two games kicked off at 9:30 a.m. and saw some very competitive games be played. There were even some upsets to be had, as a Tulalip team lead by brothers Monnie and Nate Williams managed to defeat the undefeated Yakama team who featured two 6’7 collegiate players.

When it was all said and done, the championship game saw Buchanan’s team matchup against a Tulalip team featuring Bradley Fryberg and Shawn Sanchey. It was a highly competitive game that had its moments with players get testy due to the 1^st place and cash grand prize of $600 on the line. In fact, from the early going each team seemingly matched every point scored by the other. In the final moments, the game was tied 20-20, and with the game on the line Fryberg had a chance to win the game on a 3-point attempt that was just short. Buchanan would score the next point for his team to take a 21-20 lead and, after another Tulalip miss, he found a wide-open teammate for the game winning bucket. Final score 22-20 for the 3-on-3 tournament champs, Team Buchanan.

Teams placing 1st, 2nd and 3rd received Native design t-shirts and hoodies along with a cash prize. Photo/Micheal Rios — Teams placing 1st, 2nd and 3rd received Native design t-shirts and hoodies along with a cash prize.
Photo/Micheal Rios

Contact Micheal Rios, mrios@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Adiya Jones earns MVP of all-Native invitational

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News; photos courtesy of Adiya Jones

The 13^th annual Native American Basketball Invitation (NABI) tournament, presented by Nike N7, the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Ak-Chin Indian Community, took place from June 30 thru July 4 in Phoenix, Arizona. NABI has become the largest basketball tournament in the world featuring Native and Indigenous high school youth. This year’s tourney featured 152 teams, totaling 1,600 Native high school-age youth representing teams from all across the United States, Canada and New Zealand. Through NABI, Native American high school athletes are given the opportunity to shine and use their talent to secure college athletic scholarships, while being showcased in front of countless college scouts.

This summer’s tournament featured over 350 games played in three days of pool play and bracket games, with the Gold Division Championship games played at U.S. Airways Center, home of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury, on Saturday, July 4. NABI also features a college and career fair, Team Meet & Greet pool party and educational seminars where the high school athletes are taught skills that inspire them to succeed and strive for higher education.

For Tulalip tribal member Adiya Jones, her talents on the basketball court were sought after by Team Nez Perce, the Idaho State Champions from Lapwai, ID. Nez Perce lost in heart breaking fashion in the finals of NABI 2014 and felt that by adding the post presence of Jones they would have enough fire power to win it all this year.

According to Jones, the invitation to play with an all-state championship team was an opportunity she couldn’t refuse. “The Lapwai team have been my rivals in most all-Native tournaments. They’ve always brought out the best in my game when I play against them. Being asked to play with them at NABI was very humbling and would give me a chance to work on my skills while being surrounded with a state champion.”

Not only was Jones playing on the Nez Perce team, but she would be starting at center every tournament game. The combination of speed and outside shooting that separates the Nez Perce girls from their opposition is usually enough to claim victory in any game. Now, with Jones holding down the paint, Nez Perce was the clear favorite to win the Gold Division championship.

Through the first four games of the tournament team Nez Perce, led by Jones, rolled teams in dominant fashion; winning by an average margin of 29 points per game. It wasn’t until the quarter-finals that Nez Perce finally found themselves in a competitive game versus Pueblo Elite. At halftime, the offensive driven Nez Perce, had only managed 7 points and were trailing 7-11.

“It was 112 degrees outside and we were playing our 2^nd game in a gym with no A/C,” says Jones, who attributes the team’s poor first half to the tough to play in conditions. “We were super tired, but at halftime we had the chance to rehydrate, sit down, and catch our breath finally.”

Following halftime, Nez Perce would go on to outscore their opponents 31-16 in the 2^nd half and claimed a 38-27 victory. Things wouldn’t get any easier for the now battle-tested Nez Perce, as they would have to play their semi-final game in less than two hours. The game would be another highly contested battle, but Nez Perce would prevail 40-33 and get a night’s rest before their championship game versus Cheyenne Arapaho.

The Championship game was held at U.S. Airways Center, home of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 4. It featured two undefeated squads in Nez Perce and Cheyenne Arapaho who were both 7-0 to this point.

As detailed by Jones, “our final game was such a good game. It was so close the whole time, with neither team taking more than a 4 or 5 point lead. It was the only game we played that I had doubts if we’d be able to pull out the win because Cheyenne just looked like they wanted it more. With like 2:00 to play we finally managed a little run and took a 6 point lead, but then Cheyenne pushed the tempo on us and we were really tired so it worked. They went up 2 points with barely any time remaining. We called a timeout, drew up a play, and were fortunate to execute the play perfectly. Cayla Jones made a game-tying basket right before the final buzzer to tie it up.”

The clutch basket by Nez Perce forced a 3-minute overtime period in the final game of the tourney. Nez Perce would ride that momentum in the extra period and earned a hard fought 78-75 victory to claim the Gold Division Championship. For her stellar tournament play, averaging a stat line of 18 points, 9 rebounds and 7 blocks, Adiya Jones was awarded tournament MVP.

“I was shocked. Extremely thankful, but shocked more than anything. There were so many good girls there,” says Jones. “My MVP and our tournament Championship is all do to the team chemistry we had. There were several scouts who commented on how good we looked playing together, they thought we had been playing together for years, but this was my first time playing with this team. They made me feel super comfortable in their system and it really showed in my performance. It was definitely the highest level of play I’ve been a part of and the best competition I’ve gotten from a tournament.

“Overall, NABI was such a great experience for me. Off the court I was able to sit down and talk to basketball mentors A.C. Green, 3x NBA Champion, and Kenny Dobbs, world renowned slam-dunk champion. Their words were so inspiring, just hearing them talk of their trials and tribulations…their motivational speeches to us. After the tourney was over I had college coaches and scouts give me their contact information. We’ve had some back and forth via email already and, hopefully, now there are some potential opportunities available for me to play college ball.”

Contact Micheal Rios, mrios@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov