For the fourth time in five years the Lady Sand Devils basketball team will be playing in the 3A state championship game, after defeating the Winslow Bulldogs 43-26 in the semi-finals Friday afternoon.

The Bulldogs beat the Sand Devils by one point in the opening weeks of the season.

In Friday’s game, girls head basketball head coach Ryan Whitehorse used the same system of play that earned his team a 25-4 season: an aggressive, full-court defense and a patient, circle offense.

Mikala Benally and Camryn Nockideneh did the scoring for the Sand Devils in the first quarter. All of Winslow’s first quarter points (four) came from the free throw line.

Senior point guard, Myka Taliman, got on the board in the opening minutes of the second quarter with a lay-up, while getting fouled in the process. She added another point from the free throw line.

Diana Secody also added two points and a free throw, but after that the Sand Devils’ offense went cold until the last two minutes of the quarter. The Bulldogs offense remained calm and steady and were able to tie the game at 13 with three minutes left in the second quarter.

But then the Bulldogs offense fell apart, and looked increasingly tired and frazzled by the Sand Devils non-stop press. They wouldn’t score again until the third minute of the third quarter. During that same time the Sand Devils added ten more points.

While the Sand Devils offense continued churning out points throughout the game, their defense held the Bulldogs to just six points in the third quarter and seven points in the fourth quarter.

The final score read Sand Devils 43, Bulldogs 26.

The Lady Sand Devils will play the winner of Chinle and Holbrook, who are playing later tonight.

Tomorrow’s championship game will begin at 1 p.m.