The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity basketball team won their tournamentopener at the 2023 Farwell Invitational on Thursday, 42-36, over Canyon’s JV.
With the win, the Lady Cats open tournament play for the weekend 1-0, improving to 8-4 overall on the season.
Arianna Cruz opened the contest with a steal hitting Marysa Saenz on a back-door cut, as she drew a shooting foul on Brylee Posey. She converted both free throws to put the Lady Cats in front, 2-0, as Canyon JV took a time out to talk things over with 6:27 to play in the opening quarter. Out of the break, Addison Cunningham knocked down a jumper from the right wing to tie the game, 22.
Ari Castillo drove to the basket for a lay-up with 5:15 to play in the quarter, but Baylor Thomas answered on the other end with a lay-up of her own to keep the game tied, 4-4. With 3:21 to play in the first quarter, Cruz was fouled on the floor by Cunningham, earning a trip to the line. She made one-of-two free throws, giving Littlefield a one-point advantage, 5-4.
With 2:53 to play in the opening frame, Saenz grabbed an offensive rebound off of the miss by Cruz and was fouled on the put-back attempt by Ariana Vasquez. She converted both free throws to stretch their lead to, 7-4. With under two minutes to play in the quarter, Kennadi Hanlin was fouled on the floor by Emma Black. Canyon took a time out and out of the break, Hanlin split the free throws to make it a four-point lead for the Lady Cats, 8-4.
With time winding down in the quarter, Thomas would get into the lane and finish with a lay-up to trim the lead to, 8-6, as the first quarter came to a close.
Canyon opened the second frame with back-to-back lay-ups to take the lead, but it was short-lived, as Castillo drove to the basket for a lay-up to tie the game, 10-10, with 3:25 remaining in the first half. With just under three minutes to play in the half, Cruz went coast-to-coast for a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Black. She missed the free throw, leaving the score, 1210.
Vasquez answered with a lay-up for Canyon to tie the game, but on the other end, Saenz was fouled on an attempt by Gracie Lunsford, earning a trip to the line. She sank both shots from the line to put Littlefield back in front, 14-12. Canyon would take a time out with just under a minute to play in the half, and out of the break, Vasquez was fouled on an attempt by Danica Jouett, earning a trip to the line. She sank both free throws to tie the game, 14-14, going into the locker room at halftime.
Hanlin opened the second half with a lay-up and Cruz followed it up with a floater from the right side, putting them in front, 18-14. Cunningham answered with a three from the left elbow to cut the lead to one point, 1817, with 6:55 to play in the third quarter. Cunningham knocked down a pull up jumper from the left elbow to put Canyon in front, and Posey followed it up with a three from the left wing to stretch their lead to, 22-18, with 4:37 to play in the quarter.
Castillo responded with a runner from the right side, to cut the Lady Eagles’ lead to, 22-20, as Canyon took a time out with 4:13 to play in the third. Out of the break, Cruz buried a three from the right elbow off of the assist from Hanlin to regain the lead for Littlefield, 23-22. the back-and-forth game continued, as Vasquez drove the left side of the basket for a lay-up to reclaim the lead for Canyon, 24-23, with 2:35 to play in the quarter.
With under two minutes to play in the third, Saenz dropped in a lay-up in transition off of the assist from Hanlin, drawing an and-one foul on Townli Wheeler. She converted the three throw to give Littlefield a one-possession lead, 26-24. With 1:27 to play in the third, Black was fouled on an attempt by Castillo, earning a trip to the line. She split the attempts from the line, making the score, 26-25.
Cunningham banked in a jumper in the lane off of a turnover by Jazmine Rosalez and Canyon followed it up with a three from the right elbow to stretch their lead to, 30-26. Hanlin took a charge on Wheeler to close out the third quarter with Canyon up by four.
Black opened the fourth quarter with a lay-up, but Hanlin answered with a lay-up of her own to make the score, 32-28. Wheeler took a charge on Saenz with 6:04 left to play, but Littlefield would regain possession, as Cruz buried a three from the left elbow and Castillo followed it up with a lay-up to regain the lead, 33-32, with just over five minutes remaining.
Vasquez hit a cutting Cunningham for a lay-up, as the Lady Eagles took a time out with 4:16, leading the contest, 34-33. Out of the break, Cruz pulled up and drained a three from the top of the key to put the Lady Cats back in front, 36-34. With 3:08 remaining, Littlefield took a time out to prevent a jumpball and out of the break, Hanlin knocked down a jumper in the lane to stretch their lead to, 38-34.
With just over a minute to play, Amiah Elizondo dropped in a lay-up in transition off of the assist from Castillo, as Canyon took a time out with 45.7 seconds to play, trailing, 4034. out of the break, Cunningham dropped in a lay-up to cut into the lead, but on the other end, Cruz was fouled on the floor by Cunningham, earning a trip to the line. She split the free throws to make the score, 41-36.
With time winding down in the game, Hanlin would knock down a free throw to close out the contest, 42-36, putting Littlefield in the winner’s bracket.
Cruz led the team in scoring with 15 points, seven rebound, seven steals and four assists, while Saenz tallied nine points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Hanlin tallied eight points, four steals, three rebounds and two assists, while Castillo chipped in eight points, six rebounds, four steals, two assists and two blocks, and Elizondo contributed two points and three rebounds.
Saldana added one rebound, while Rosalez added four rebound and one steal and Jouett finished with four rebounds.