Cheyenne heads to 3A Southern Region tourney after going undefeated in league

The players on Cheyenne’s girls basketball team were so discouraged after three seasons of losing that one went so far as to take up golf last fall.

And the Desert Shields’ in-fighting made the “Cash Me Outside!” girl look mellow in comparison.

“Last year, I wanted to stop playing basketball,” senior post Da’Vione Lomax said. “But I’m glad I didn’t because this year was way different.”

Cheyenne went undefeated in the Class 3A Sunset League to earn its first league title since 1998 and enters the postseason with a newfound confidence.

The Desert Shields (17-6) host Tech (9-16) in the opening round of the 3A Southern Region tournament at 6 p.m. Wednesday. The Class 4A region tournaments also begin Wednesday at host sites.

“I’m so proud of the girls,” first-year coach Daniel Guy said. “There’s a lot of firsts that these seniors are experiencing that should have happened their freshman and sophomore years. But the cool thing about it happening so late? They appreciate it so much.”

Cheyenne went a combined 22-35 the past three seasons under two coaches and missed the playoffs in 2016. When Guy took over, he installed a man-to-man defense to take advantage of the team’s speed.

Seniors Ejanae Coopwood and Marisha Harden, along with sophomore Germanie White, were members of Cheyenne’s state title-winning 400 and 800 relays last spring.

“You’re talking about some of the top athletes in the state, and, good or bad, the previous coaching philosophies have been to play zone (defense),” Guy said. “Now that they’re playing in a system conducive to their athleticism, it’s night and day.”

Coopwood leads the Desert Shields in scoring at 14.6 points per game, and Lomax is the top rebounder (8.6) and shot blocker (1.6). Cheyenne also forces an average of 17 steals per game.

“Last year it was like, ‘Oh, I can do whatever I want and nothing’s going to happen. I’ll still play,’ “ senior Starr Hawkins said. “But this team makes you want to work hard and go out there and show people what you can do.”

Cheyenne started 4-3 with double-digit losses to Virgin Valley and Moapa Valley. Guy and the players credited the team’s December trip to Northern California for the prestigious West Coast Jamboree as the season’s turning point.

“In the beginning, we had people that didn’t like each other,” Coopwood said. “When we got to California, we bonded. We’re a family now. We’re more than a team.”

Cheyenne has won seven straight since a loss to Canyon Springs on Jan. 13 and would face either Moapa Valley or Pahrump Valley in the semifinals on Thursday at Sunrise Mountain.

The winner of that game is guaranteed a berth in the 3A state tournament.

“The past three years being here, this year was something memorable,” Lomax said. “We’re leaving Cheyenne with a legacy. It’s great to be a part of something like that.”

Contact reporter David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.