Basketball Recap: Chinle Comes Up Short

It's hard to turn regular season success into postseason wins, a fact Chinle can now relate to. They fell just short of the Payson Longhorns by a score of 53-51 on Friday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Wildcats have suffered since February 9, 2024.

Payson's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Alondra Ramirez, who went 5-for-9 on her way to 15 points. What's more, Ramirez also posted a 56% field goal percentage, which is the highest she's achieved since back in January of 2024. Another player making a difference was Grace DeSchaaf, who posted seven points along with seven boards and five steals.

Chinle's loss dropped their record down to 29-3. As for Payson, the victory (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 27-6.

Chinle does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Payson, they have already played their next matchup, a 49-37 defeat against Snowflake on the 1st.