The Shiprock Chieftains's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their fifth straight loss. They fell to Aztec 32-27. The result was an unpleasant reminder to Shiprock of the 32-28 defeat they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in January.
Aztec got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Jazzlyn Gomez out in front who scored 13 points along with five rebounds and three steals. Gomez has been hot recently, having posted three or more steals the last three times she's played. Another player making a difference was Nika Mckenzie, who scored seven points along with five steals.
Shiprock has not been sharp recently as the team has lost seven of their last nine games, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-13 record this season. As for Aztec, the victory (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 12-10.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Shiprock will take on Gallup at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Shiprock will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps New Mexico Rankings (they are ranked 80th, while Gallup is ranked 12th). As for Aztec, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Kirtland Central at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Kirtland Central has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 406 points over their last six matches.
