I looked around, and found some pics of these gals in action. It seems as if they went to the 'AAAA,' New Mexico state championships again for the '99-'00 school year. Click Here to go to that part of navajo2000.com. I would post up some of those pics, but they are © Copyrighted material of someone else.

A high school that is finishing the decade with two New Mexico AAAA State Championships, one runner-up and two third place finishes should get serious attention from major colleges, right?  Wrong.  The Lady Bengals of Gallup (New Mexico) High School have only had one player finish a D-1 career.

This is partly because the team rarely has one specific standout player.  "We play more of a balanced game with most of the girls averaging around ten points per game," says head coach John Lomasney.

The underlying spirit of the 99-percent Native American Lady Bengals is "Rezball."  This is not only the nickname given to the style of play surrounding the indian Reservations, which envelope Gallup, it's a way of life which involves athletes, communities and the incorporation of traditional indian beliefs and practices.  "Many of these athletes don't have much to do in this area of the country," says Lomasney.  "Basketball is their only enjoyment."

And they're good at it.  Junior Roberta Tahe, who plays small forward and point guard, averages 9 ppg and shoots over 80 percent from the line.  "Our style of play has enabled me to develop my individual skills while making me a better team player," says Tahe.  That style of play is "fast and loose, but they can slow it down when necessary," according to Lomansey.

Senior center Daniella Arotino, the only non-Native American starter, broke the school rebounding record last year with 282 grabs and is being seriously looked at by D-1 programs.  It's about time.--JOE KOLB

This is another story from the October '99 issue of SLAM. (This one is on page 126)