The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity basketball team came up short in their season-opener on Tuesday, when they fell at home to the Snyder Tigers, 64-61.
With the loss, the Wildcats fall to 0-1 overall on the season.
Kam McCarty dropped in a putback off of his own miss to open the contest and he followed it up on the defensive end with a block in the lane, before taking it coastto- coast, drawing a foul on Stryker Brashear, earning a trip to the line. He made one-of-two shots from the line to make the score, 3-0, with just under a minute gone in the opening quarter.
Chase Coronado was fouled on an attempt by Brashear, earning a trip to the line. He also split the free throws, stretching their lead to, 4-0, with 6:57 remaining in the first quarter. Snyder would respond, as Mikey Escobedo drove the lane for a lay-up and Ethan Rios followed it up with a lay-up off of an inbound play to tie the game, 4-4.
Escobedo dropped in a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Coronado. He missed the free throw, giving Snyder their first lead of the game, 6-4, with 5:13 to play in the quarter. McCarty buried a three from the left elbow off of the assist from Anastasio Ayala to put the Wildcats back in front, 7-6. With just over four minutes to play in the quarter, the lead changed again, as Rios dropped in a lay-up to put the Tigers on top, 8-7.
Brashear took a charge on Andrerw Davis with 3:14 remaining in the quarter, but the Tigers couldn’t capitalize, as Littlefield regained possession, and Ryan Williams dropped in a put-back off of a miss by McCarty, putting them back in front, 9-8. With 2:20 left to play in the quarter, Davis knocked down a deep two from the right elbow off of an assist from McCarty, but Jacob James answered with a three from the right elbow to tie the game, 1111.
Andres Martinez dropped in a lay-up for the Tigers, but McCarty answered on the other end using a euro-step to get to the basket for a lay-up to keep the game tied, 13-13. With just over 30 seconds to play in the quarter, Rios drained a three from the right elbow for Snyder, but the Wildcats responded, as Williams drove the lane, dumping the ball off to Davis for a lay-up to cut the lead to, 16-15, as the first quarter came to a close.
McCarty hit Williams with an outlet pass for a fast-break lay-up to regain the lead for the Wildcats to open the second frame. Williams followed it up with a steal in their own end, dropping in a floater from the left side to stretch their lead to, 19-16, with 6:41 remaining in the half. McCarty drove the lane, dumping the ball off to Williams in transition for a lay-up, pushing their lead to, 21-16, as Snyder called a time out to try and slow down Littlefield’s momentum.
Out of the break, Escobedo knocked down a jumper from the left elbow and Aedyn Claxton dropped in a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Coronado. He missed the free throw, trimming the lead to one-point, 21-20. McCarty was fouled on the other end on a shot attempt by James and split the free throws to make it a one-possession game, 22-20, with 4:28 to play in the half.
McCarty dropped in a fast-break lay-up off of an outlet pass from Williams, drawing an and-one foul on Claxton. He converted the free throw to push Littlefield’s lead to, 25-20. With under four minutes to play in the half, McCarty hit Davis with an outlet pass for a fast-break lay-up, but Daniel Cabrera answered with a three from the top of the key to cut the lead to, 27-23, with 3:20 left in the half.
Ayala was called for a five-second call on the inbound play, and Snyder capitalized on the extra possession, as Cabrera got into the paint for a lay-up in transition, making it a one-possession game, 2725. Littlefield took a time out with 1:22 to play in the half, and out of the break, Claxton dropped in a layup in transition to tie the game, 2727. However, in the closing seconds McCarty knocked down a jumper in the lane at the buzzer to put the Wildcats in front, 29-27, going into the locker room at halftime.
Rios knocked down a jumper in the lane to open the second half for Snyder and on their next possession, Escobedo was fouled on an attempt by Coronado, who picked up his fourth foul of the game with 7: 05 left to play in the third. Escobedo converted both free throws to take the lead, 31-29. James drew a shooting foul on Ayala and sank both shots from the line to stretch the Snyder lead to, 33-29.
Williams dropped in a lay-up from the right side, but Snyder answered with a bucket on the other end, making the score, 35-31, with 5:20 to play in the quarter. McCarty knocked down a step-back three from the left elbow to make it a onepoint Tiger lead, 35-34, but Snyder answered, as Escobedo dropped in a put-back off of his own miss, making the score, 37-34.
Davis was fouled on an attempt by Brashear, his third. Davis split the free throws, to make the score, 37-35. Escobedo answered with a lay-up and he followed it up with a three from the right elbow stretching the Tiger’s lead to, 42-35, with 3:03 remaining in the quarter. Snyder kept their run going, as James dropped in a lay-up off of a steal, but on the other end, McCarty was fouled on attempt by Aaron Penn; he converted both free throws to make the score, 44-37, with just over one minute remaining in the quarter.
Penn dropped in a put-back off of a miss by Escobedo, but in the closing seconds, McCarty drove the middle for a lay-up to close out the third quarter, trimming the lead to, 46-39.
Williams drained a three from the left elbow off of an assist from Jessie Ortiz to open the fourth quarter, but Penn answered with a lay-up to make it a six-point game, 48-42. McCarty drained a three from the right elbow to make it a three-point game, 48-45, but on the other end Escobedo was fouled on an attempt by McCarty. He made one-of-two free throws and Martinez followed it up with a lay-up to push their lead to, 51-45.
With 6:28 to play in the game, Davis was fouled on an attempt by Penn, his third. Davis split the attempts to make it a five-point game, 51-46. Martinez dropped in a layup for Snyder, drawing an and-one foul on Ortiz. He missed the free throw, leaving the score, 53-46. The back-and-forth game continued, as Davis dropped in a lay-up in transition, but the Tigers answered, as Claxton drained a three from the left elbow, making the score, 56-48.
McCarty knocked down a pair of free throws and Williams followed it up with a pull-up from the right elbow, cutting the lead to, 56-52. With 3:37 Escobedo was fouled on an attempt by Coronado, who fouled out of the contest. He sank both free throws and Claxton followed it up with a lay-up in the lane, making the score, 60-52, with 3:12 to play in the game.
Littlefield took a time out with 3:10 remaining, and out of the break, Williams was fouled on the floor by Escobedo. Snyder took a time out and out of the break, Williams sank both free throws to cut the lead to six points, 60-54. On the next play, McCarty picked up a steal and was fouled on an attempt by Brashear, who fouled out of the contest. Snyder took another time out, and out of the break, McCarty dropped in both free throws making the score, 60-56, with 1:22 to play.
James was fouled on the floor by Ayala, his third; he sank one-of-two free throws, but Williams answered with a jumper from the left elbow, making the score, 61-58. With 23 seconds to play, James was fouled on the floor by Davis, his third; he sank both free throws to make it a five-point game, but on the other end, McCarty banked in a three from the top of the key off of the assist from Williams, slicing the lead to, two points, 63-61.
James, though, would sink a pair of free throws in the closing seconds to ice the game, 65-61, as Littlefield fell at home to Snyder.
McCarty led the way for the Wildcats with 31 points, 13 rebounds, three blocks, two assists and two steals, while Williams tallied 21 points, seven rebounds, three steals and one assist. Davis contributed eight points, three rebounds and two steals, while Coronado finished with one point and two rebounds.
The Wildcats hosted Denver City on Saturday. Results were not available at press time. They will continue their season on Dec. 3rd when they go on the road to take on Floydada.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.