Monument Valley teams earn region wins

Monument Valley girls kept rolling as the boys split their past two region games this past week.
The Monument Valley boys basketball team earned a 72-67 overtime win against Pinnacle on January 13.
Pinnacle led 42-35 at halftime but the Cougars came back in the second half to finish regulation all tied up 61-61. The Cougars scored 11 points in overtime, while holding the Panthers to five points to earn the overtime victory.
Monument Valley was led in the game by Melias Cly who scored 27 points, Braxton Goodshield scored 19 for the Cougars while Joshua Hicks scored 15. Akecheta Shortman added eight points while Brice Goodshield had three points.
On January 18 the boys and girls team traveled to Monticello.
The Cougar boys were defeated 57-27.
Monument Valley was led in scoring by Braxton Goodshield who had 14 points, Joshua Hicks scored seven and Melias Cly scored six.
Cly led the team with nine rebounds while Brice Goodshield had seven, the pair each had one block as well. Hicks had two steals and Cly had the one assist in the game.
In the girls game Monument Valley defeated Monticello 62-23.
Monument Valley was led in scoring by Shikeeya Hudson who had 18 points while sister Shimequa Hudson scored 15 points. Malaya Blackmountain had nine points off the bench. Seniors Precious Bedonie and Nevaeh Wilson each scored eight points. Mariah Begaye and Shaundin Blackwater each had two points in the victory.
Speaking after the game Head Coach Terri James was asked about how the girls play unselfishly, she said it's something they work on in practice.
“In our practices and our scrimmages our three’s count for one point. So they learn to look inside to find what we call “easy buckets”, because you don’t have to work as hard.”
That work has paid off in a big way with the Monument Valley front court with seniors Bedonie and Wilson playing assignment sound and comfortable down low, James said one player who’s come a long way is Shikeeya Hudson who finished with a double-double.
“She’s getting more comfortable, she doesn’t really like to play at the same time as her sister because her sister really pushes her more. But she’s gotten a lot more comfortable with it since Christmas. They’ve started to look for each other and talk to each other on the court and she’s learning how to get the rebound and get it right back up.”
While Shikeeya and Shimequa are actual sisters, the whole team has a strong family bond. At one point in the game freshman Malaya Blackwater went down with an injury, with Monticello looking to score, senior leader Shimequa Hudson left the defense and active play to go check on her teammate.
“That’s our freshman, she's a baby to our squad. I just treat the girls like sisters, like my family so I had to take care of her on the court and off”
Shimequa says they’re aware of the pressure that comes with being the #1 ranked team in 1A.
“We feel pressure because there’s more teams coming after us. They want to beat us but we have to keep working hard.”
One thing is clear: despite high expectations the Monument Valley girls basketball team enjoys it every time they’re on the court.
“Most of them have been playing together since Junior High,” said coach James, ”and they’re always in the game, they’re always looking, and having fun. They’re always laughing together, laughing at each other, and just playing the game.”
The Cougars boys and girls teams hosted Red Mesa on January 23 after the San Juan Record print deadline. Monument Valley hosts Whitehorse for the first Battle of the Drum this year. If you can’t make the game in Monument Valley you can catch the action online at StreamUtah.Live