Whitehorse Raiders boys and girls teams are 3-0 to open play in 2023

by David Boyle
News Director
The Whitehorse High School basketball teams went 3-0 last week including two close wins for the Raiders over familiar foes.
The Lady Raiders opened the week in Blanding taking on the San Juan Broncos on January 3. Whitehorse fell behind 36-31 at halftime, but got back into a back and forth game with the Broncos in the second half.
With 2:30 remaining in the game San Juan led Whitehorse 53-50.
A foul against San Juan put Heidi Clark at the free throw line. After making one free throw and missing the second, Shelby Vasku secured an offensive rebound to give Whitehorse another possession.
An inbounds play found Shunbaah Begay open to hit a corner three to give Whitehorse a 54-53 lead with 2:25 remaining.
On the next possession, San Juan’s Serina Yanito made a free throw to tie the game.
After grabbing a defensive board Begay took the ball coast to coast to lay it in and give Whitehorse a 56-54 lead with 2:10 remaining.
After five scoreless change of possessions the Raiders called timeout with 50 secnods remaining. Out of timeout Clark took the ball down the lane to extend Whitehorse lead 58-54 with 38 seconds remaining.
On the inbound, San Juan’s Synessa Atcitty took it in for an and-one bucket to cut the score to 58-56 with 33 seconds remaining.
After securing the rebound the Raiders burned the clock down to 15 seconds before the Broncos fouled to send Whitehorse to the free throw line.
After an empty trip at the line, the Broncos drew up a play to get an open look at the basket with ten seconds remaining. Both a deep two and an offensive putback wouldnt fall through the hoop for San Juan however and the Raiders held on to even the season series with San Juan 1-1.
The Raiders were led in scoring by scoring duo Shunbaah Begay and Lamyia Benally who each scored 14 points. With Benally hitting three three-point shots and Begay scoring five points at the free throw line.
Vasku added ten points for the Raiders, with Clark scoring six. Also scoring for the Raiders were Kiera Chee (4 points), Shayla Miller (3), and Shania Mitchell (2).
On Friday, the Lady Raiders carried momentum from their nail bitter with San Juan to open up region play. Whitehorse cruised to a wire-to-wire victory over Green River 68-47 at their home gym in Montezuma Creek.
The Lady Raiders were led in scoring by Heidi Clark, who scored 16 points while Shunbaah Begay scored 10 points.
Shayla Miller and Laila Etsitty each scored eight with Lamyia Benally and Kierra Chee each scoring six points.
Also scoring in the game were Kadence Lansing (4 points), Shelby Vasku (4), Dakotah Cly (2), Shania Mitchell (2), and Deiondra Billjohn (2).
The Lady Raiders improve to a record of 3-9 on the season.
The Whitehorse Raiders boys team also defeated the Green River Pirates on January 6. Although that game was much closer with the Raiders prevailing 57-54 in overtime.
In a game that was close throughout, the Pirates led the Raiders 21-18 at halftime and 30-29 through three quarters.
The fourth quarter saw a huge barage of buckets with both teams combining for 35 points, and Green River building a seven point lead with 1:53 remaining in regulation.
On the next trip down the court Radier Lyric Phillips drove to the basket and scored a layup to cut the lead to five.
On the next possession a drive by the Pirates was blocked by D’Wayne Nakai, after the Raiders secured the ball Phillips hit a three point-shot to make the scored 47-45 in favor of Green River with 1:22 remaining in the game.
The Raiders forced a turnover on their next possesion but were unable to score. After trading misses, D’Wayne Nakai drove down the lane and was fouled with 45 seconds left.
Nakai calmly made both free throws to tie the game at 47 points each. The Raiders defense held up against the Pirates with Nakai stealing the ball with 30 seconds remaining. A foul with 3.5 seconds remaining led the Raiders to call a timeout to draw up an inbound play. 
The play drawn up had Camron Nakai whip the ball to D’Wayne Nakai who had an open look from the corner. While the corner three was good it was just after the buzzer sounded sending the game to overtime.
In the overtime period Green River scored first. Whitehorse first bucket of the period was made by Phillips. D’Wayne Nakai found a cutting Phillips on the play to tie the game with three minutes to go in overtime.
On the next defensive possession Kalin Tohonnie recorded a steal and on their next trip down the court D’Wayne Nakai scored on a mid-range stepback to give the raiders a two-point lead.
The Raiders defense kept the pressure on forcing a turnover. After an empty offensive trip on their next possession Camron Nakai recorded another steal leading to a deep three-point shot made by Phillips to give Whitehorse a 54-49 lead with 1:30 remaining in overtime.
Green River responded with a quick layup and after an empty possession by Whitehorse the Pirates hit a three to tie the game with one minute left.
On the next trip down the court, D’Waye Nakai pulled up deep from three to give the Raiders a 57-54 lead with 45 seconds remaining. 
The Raiders successfully defended the Pirates on two possessions while running out the clock to get the 57-54 overtime victory to open region play.
The Raiders were led by D’Wayne Nakai, who finished with 27 points while Phillips scored 15.
Camron Nakai added six points while Dominic Dance scored four, Tristan Black three, and Tohonnie scored two.
The Raiders improve to 6-7 on the year.
Both Whitehorse boys and girls teams travel to Monticello on Friday January 13.
If you can’t make the game you can watch it online at PictureItPalmer.com.