Sports

'They get it'

Former local standouts Prairie Chief, Mitchell are now teammates at Cochise College

By Candace Begody
Navajo Times

WINDOW ROCK, Dec. 12, 2011

Last year, the women's basketball team at Cochise College barely managed to secure seven wins throughout their 31-game season.

This year, the five returning players from last year's lineup, all of whom are sophomores, welcomed seven freshmen and a new coach to the team - elements that would suggest a rebuilding year.

But the Cochise Apaches are already turning heads and sending the message that despite their youth, they should not be counted out of the running for the Arizona Community College Conference title.

That is especially true now that they have a dangerous duo starring on their team - Gallup's Justina Prairie Chief and Window Rock's Ashley Mitchell.

"A lot of our success is because of those two," said first-year head coach Laura Hughes, who gave up her assistant coaching position at Arizona State University after 15 years to coach the Apaches. "They come to practice to work hard and they get it, they get what it takes to make it at the next level."

By this time last year, the Apaches had only 2 wins and 8 losses. And though they started this season with nine road games, their record currently stands at 7-4, having lost one conference game to Central Arizona College by 5 points.

Prairie Chief and Mitchell, who starred on high school teams that have always been rivals, are a big part of why Cochise is doing well - they are the team's two leading scorers.

"Last year, Cochise won a total of seven games," Hughes said. "This year, we have already won seven games and it's because of those two. Those two are changing the culture here. They're both winners and coming from state championship teams."

Prairie Chief, who earned the starting point guard position for Cochise, led the Gallup Lady Bengals to the 2011 New Mexico Class 4A state championship with a game-high 16 points. Gallup defeated Kirtland Central, 60-46.

"She gives us the leadership at the point guard spot," Hughes said.

In her final season at Gallup Prairie Chief was named the 2010-11 New Mexico Gatorade Player of the Year, Class 4A player of the year and the District 6-4A player of the year.

"She is really good at taking people off the dribble," Hughes said. "She's got a nice three-point shot, she's a good passer, she takes care of the ball, and gives ball to the right people."

Prairie Chief is averaging about 13.3 points per game at Cochise, the highest on the team, followed by Mitchell with 12.9.

Mitchell, the starting guard/forward for Cochise, led the Window Rock Lady Scouts to two state championship games in 2010 and 2011. In 2011, she helped win the school's first state basketball title since 1997.

"Ashley is doing the scoring and she is by far getting in the most minutes," Hughes said.

In her last year with Window Rock Mitchell was named Arizona's player of the year and the Arizona Republic's player of the year.

"I have a lot of trust in her because she sees the floor really well," Hughes said, "she sees things that most people don't see.

"She's played her entire life and she really understands the game," Hughes added. "Because of that, she gives us stability in scoring on the floor."

Prairie Chief and Mitchell will only get better, she said.

"They're already two of the better players in the conference," Hughes said. "All they have to do is just come everyday to practice to get better. I tell them not to focus on the past or future and just focus on getting better and the rest will take care of itself."

Needless to say, the two have had to adjust to playing college ball.

"It's nothing like high school," said Prairie Chief. "We definitely stepped up a lot. In the game, you have to be smarter, you have to be quicker, and there are a lot of talented girls in junior college.

"You have to bring your game to every game because in high school, you can have a bad game but if you have a bad game here, you pay for it," Prairie Chief added. "You are constantly working and it's very competitive but that's what makes it fun."

As for the former Gallup-Window Rock rivalry, Prairie Chief said, "We don't even think about high school and we've actually become really good friends.

"We have to play together to win and we do what we have to do to win," she added. "Winning is important because none of us can take losing very well."

"The competition is very difficult at the college level," Mitchell said. "Everyone has the mentality of not wanting to quit. Everyone wants to catch up if they're behind. We all go hard and we all work for our spots during practice."

Though both Prairie Chief and Mitchell agree that Douglas, Ariz., is not the most exciting place to experience college life, it was Hughes' background that swayed their decisions.

"When I visited, it was small and I thought it was all right," Prairie Chief said. "But coach is an awesome person and I was sold because of her. I couldn't be in a better situation and I don't see myself playing anywhere else."

"She's really understanding, she pushes you and she knows the game," Mitchell said. "She tells us to go hard at everything and not to quit."

Hughes helped lead ASU to the postseason for 12 consecutive seasons, including a school record of five straight NCAA tournament appearances from 2005 to 2009.

"I run my program like a Division 1 program," she said. "It is very intense and there isn't a lot of standing around."

The players take classes in the morning then hit the weights from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., have a team meeting immediately after, watch film just before practice, and then practice from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Dinner is after practice and then study hall is from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

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