Raiders open region play with wins in Price

by David Boyle
News Director
The Whitehorse basketball teams opened Region 19 play with a trip to Price and Green River this past weekend. The girls defeated Pinnacle 62-30 on January 5. The Lady Raiders hold an 8-4 record and are ranked #6 in the Utah 1A.
The boys gutted out a double-overtime win at Pinnacle on January 5. The Raiders trailed 30-24 at halftime, but a big third quarter gave them a 47-42 lead. The Panthers rallied in the fourth to tie the game 60-60 to end regulation.
In the first overtime period both teams scored eight points each, forcing a second overtime. Kalin Tohonnie made a free throw and Lyric Phillips hit a three-pointer to give the Raiders the first four points of the second overtime.
Up one point with two minutes left, Tohonnie scored a put-back basket to give the Raiders a three-point lead. After a Pinnacle basket Dominic Dance hit two free throws to keep the Raiders in front.
With Whitehorse up by one point with 30 seconds left Phillips put back his own missed shot to give the Raiders a three-point lead. But once again Pinnacle answered and the Raiders held a one-point lead with 12 seconds left.
After being fouled Phillips hit two free throws to put Whitehorse up by three. A missed shot by Pinnacle and a foul put Tohonnie to the line where he hit one free throw to give the Raiders an 81-77 victory.
Phillips led Raider scoring with an impressive 43 points including six three-point baskets. Dominic Dance scored 16 and Tristan Black got seven. Kalin Tohonnie scored six points including five in the second OT. Larenz Tsosie scored five, Elam Etsitty three, and Adam Joe one.
The Raiders dropped their game in Green River on January 6 71-49. Phillips led scoring with 24 points, Dance scored nine, Black had eight, with Tsosie scoring seven and Joe scoring one point. The boys are 6-6 on the year, ranked 11th in the Utah 1A standings.