The final week of the regular basketball season has arrived and the Holbrook Roadrunners are in a position to make the state tournament and possibly host a first round game. All that depends on how this final week, which includes five consecutive games, goes for the Roadrunners.
Last Friday night the Birds were in Snowflake to face the suddenly resurgent Lobos. Snowflake came into the game on a two-game winning streak and made it three in a row with a 63-45 win over Holbrook.
The Birds got off to a slow beginning with just six first period points. Their offensive woes continued in the second and third periods, when they netted just single digits in each. In the fourth Holbrook scored better, but Snowflake had been solid throughout the game and cruised to the 18-point win.
Holbrook was led by Hayden Kinlichee with 14 points. Lane Goldtooth added 7; Jarred Woody and Korey McReeves, 6 each; Elliot Pete, 5; Jayden Johns, 3; and Damian Begay and Tynen Thomas, 2 each.
Collectively, the Roadrunners made seven three-point shots and went 10 for 16 at the stripe.
Snowflake was led by Dallin Chapman with 18 points. Trey Schneider added 14; Garrett Wood, 12; Mason Willis, 9; Zach Solomon, 6; and Dylan Kay, 4.
The Lobos made four treys and converted 9 of their 14 free throws.
On Saturday evening former Holbrook coach Raul Mendoza returned to town and brought his 14th ranked Chinle Wildcats with him. The Holbrook boys weren’t too kind to the former coach, sending him back to Chinle with a 59-46 loss.
The Wildcats started quickly, putting the Roadrunners on their heels in front of a sellout crowd to lead 16-11 after one. In the second the Birds found their stroke. Kinlichee nailed three treys and Pete canned five points to pace Holbrook to a 32-26 halftime lead. In the third Holbrook’s defense held the visitors to single digits and the Roadrunners hit enough free throws in the fourth to seal their eighth win of the season.
Kinlichee finished with 17. Pete and McReeves added 11 each; Woody, 8; Lane Goldtooth, 7; and Thomas, 5.
Holbrook made eight three-point shots and converted 13 of 17 free throws.
The Wildcats were led by Cooper Burbank with 14.
Chinle made one three-point goal and hit 5 of 13 free throws.
Holbrook headed into the final week of the season with an overall mark of 8-11. After playing at Blue Ridge on Monday and hosting Winslow on Tuesday, the Roadrunners will host Page tonight (Feb. 1) and Monument Valley on Thursday, which will be Senior Night. On Friday Holbrook puts a wrap on the regular season with a trip to Payson.
The Roadrunners entered this week ranked 17th in power points. If they can climb into the top 16, they would host a first-round game. If they fall out of the top 24, their season would come to a close.
