The Olton Mustangs’ varsity basketball team rallied back from down 10 in the third quarter to take down the Hereford Whitefaces on Friday, 61-46, to advance to the Nazareth Invitational Championship.
Previously on Thursday, the Mustangs took down Panhandle, 63-53, in their tournament opener, before overcoming a 20-point second half deficit against Bushland Thursday night to take down the Falcons, 6158. They would end up as the runner-ups, falling to Shallowater in the Championship game, 61-48.
Santiago Jimenz got the Mustangs going against Hereford with a floater in the lane off of the assist from Sebastian Sparkman, but Jayden Sosa answered with a lay-up to tie the game, 2- 2. Sparkman drained a three from the right elbow off of the assist form Zayden Falcon, but Tristen Smith fired back on the other end, with back-toback threes for the Herd, giving them the lead, 8-5, as Olton took a time out with 4:45 to play in the opening quarter.
Out of the break, Matias Flores picked up a steal in their own end and knocked down a jumper in the lane, but Hereford would answer, as Bennett Bell dropped in a lay-up off of the assist from Sosa, pushing their lead to, 10-7. Smith dropped in a lay-up for Hereford and on their next possession, the Whitefaces took a time out to prevent a turnover with3:08 remaining in the first quarter.
Out of the break, Matthew Zepeda dropped in a lay-up to stretch their lead to seven points, 14-7. With under two minutes to play in the quarter, Brady Azam dropped in a put-back off of a miss by Sparkman, drawing an and-one foul on Jaiden Tejada. He missed the free throw, leaving the score, 14-9. Tejada would knock down a jumper from the right side for Hereford, but on the other end, Alex Green was fouled on the floor by Tejada, earning a trip to the line. He made one-of-two free throws, trimming the lead to, 16-10.
In the closing seconds of the quarter, Sosa knocked down a jumper from the left side, pushing the Hereford lead to, 18-10, as the first quarter came to a close.
Pierce Valdez opened the second frame with a putback for Hereford, but Flores answered with a pull-up jumper in the lane, off of the assist from Sparkman to make it an eight-point game, 20-12. With under six minutes to go in the first half, Flores was fouled on an attempt by Bell. He converted both shots at the line to cut the lead to, 20-14, but Zepeda would respond with a jumper in the lane on the other end, making the score, 22-14, with just over five minutes to play in the half. Flores drained a three from the right elbow, and was fouled on the shot by Tejada, earning a trip to the line. He missed the free throw, cutting the lead to five points, 22-17. Brix Machen would drop in a bucket for the Whitefaces, but on their next possession, Sparkman took a charge on Mark Casarez to regain possession for the Mustangs.
With 3:46 to play in he half, Jimenez dropped in a put-back off of a miss by Manny Carrasco, but the Herd would answer, as Sosa followed it up with a lay- up and Machen dropped in a put- back, drawing an and-one foul on Sparkman. He converted the free throw to stretch their lead to double-digits, 29-19.
Hereford took a time out with 2:24 to play in the half and out of the break, Flores knocked down a jumper from the right elbow off of the assist from Sparkman, trimming the lead to, 29-21, going into the locker room at halftime.
Sosa got the ball down low to Smith for a lay-up to open the second half, but Jimenez answered with a lay-up to make the score, 31-23. With just over seven minutes to play in the third quarter, Machen was fouled on an attempt by Azam. He sank both shots at the line, pushing the lead back out to, 33-23.
Falcon drove the lane, kicking it across to Azam, who dropped in a lay-up to trim the lead to, 33-25, and on their next possession, Sparkman was fouled on an attempt by Diaz, his second foul of the game. Sparkman split the attempts at the line, cutting the lead to, 33-26, with 6:15 to play in the quarter. Jimenez took a charge on Smith, but the Mustangs couldn’t capitalize on the turnover, as Hereford regained possession and Smith dropped in a layup in transition to extend their lead back out to, 3526.
Flores dropped in a floater from the left side, drawing an and-one foul on Bell, his second foul of the game. The free throw was good from Flores, making it a six-point game, 35-29. On the other end, Smith was fouled on an attempt by Azam, who picked up his third foul of the game. Smith converted both attempts at the line and Casarez followed it up with a fast-break lay-up off of a turnover by Sparkman, pushing the lead back out to double-digits, 39-29.
Sparkman answered with a three from the left elbow off of the assist from Jimenez, but Machen answered with a drive to the basket for a lay-up, making the score, 41-32. The Mustangs kept chipping away, as Flores drove across the lane for a lay-up on the right side and with under a minute to play in the quarter, Sparkman was fouled on an attempt by Valdez. He converted one-of-two shots from the line to make it a six-point game, 41-35.
With time winding down in the quarter, Green had his shot blocked by Smith, but Sparkman was there for the offensive rebound and putback to make it a four-point game, 41-37. However, in the closing seconds of the third quarter, Smith was fouled on an attempt by Jimenez and split the free throws to make the score, 42-37, going into the final quarter of play.
Sparkman opened the fourth quarter with a steal from Diaz at half court, dishing it ahead to Jimenez for the fast-break lay-up, making it a one-possession game, 42-39. Hereford took a time out with seven minutes to play, and out of the break, Flores lobbed an inbound pass up to Azam, who dropped it in for a layup, slicing the lead to, 4241.
With just under six minutes to play in the game, Jimenez dropped in a putback off of a miss by Sparkman to give Olton the lead, 43-42, and Sparkman followed it up with a jumper from the right elbow to push their lead to, 45-42. Azam kept it going with a put-back off of a miss by Jimenez and Flores dropped in a putback off of his own miss, drawing an and-one foul on Machen. He converted the free throw to make the score, 50- 42, as Olton started the quarter on a, 130, scoring run.
Bell dropped in a lay-up to end the scoring drought for Hereford, as Olton took a time out with 1:44 to play in the game. Out of the break, Jimenez took a charge on Machen and with under a minute to play, Flores grabbed a steal, passing it ahead to Azam for the lay-up, as he drew an andone foul on Machen. Machen drew a technical foul after the play, fouling out of the contest. Azam converted his free throw and Falcon made both of the shots for the technical, stretching their lead to, 5544.
With 46 seconds left in the contest, Flores was fouled on the floor by Zepeda; he sank both free throws, pushing their lead to, 57-44. On the next play, Azam picked up a steal, dishing down court to Jimenez, who dropped in the lay-up on the fast-break, making the score, 59-44. Jaxon Lucio dropped in a put-back off of a miss by Bell, as Hereford took a time out with 12 seconds to play. Out of the break, Flores was fouled on the floor by Lucio, earning a trip to the line. He converted both free throws, making the score, 61-46, as Olton completed the comeback against Hereford.
Flores led the Mustangs in scoring against Hereford with 23 points, while Sparkman tallied 12 points and Azam chipped in 11 points. Jimenez contributed 10 points, while Falcon added two points and Green finished with one point.