The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity basketball team came up just short in their district-opener on Tuesday falling on the road to the Idalou Lady Cats, 47-42.
With the loss, the Lady Cats fall to 7-5 overall, 0-1 in district play.
Karsyn Lutrick opened the contest with a lay-up on the left side for Idalou, but on the other end, Ari Castillo was fouled on an attempt by Preslie Wall. She made one-of-two shots from the line, trimming the lead to, 2-1. Megan Hall took a charge on Nevaeh Esquibel and Lutrick followed it up with a steal for a fast-break layup, pushing their lead to, 4-1, with 5:48 left to play in the opening quarter.
Lutrick kept it going for Idalou with another steal for a fast-break lay-up, as Littlefield took a time out with 4:40 left to play in the first quarter. Out of the break, Lutrick scored a lay-up off of an inbound play under the basket for Idalou, but on the other end, Esquibel dropped in a reverse lay-up off of the inbound pass from Amoni Jefferson, trimming the lead to, 8--3.
Idalou would go on a, 6-0, scoring run to close out the quarter, leading the Lady Cats, 14-3, heading into quarter number two.
After a time out by Idalou to begin the second frame, Esquibel picked up a steal and went coastto- coast finishing with a lay-up on the right side to trim the lead to, 14-5. Madison Williams drained a three from the top of the key off of the assist from Jefferson and Esquibel followed it up with a three from the left elbow off of the assist from Williams, slicing the lead to, 14-11, with just over four minutes remaining in the half.
Idalou answered with a bucket, but on the other end, Esquibel set a screen for Jefferson, who nailed a three from the top of the key, making the score, 16-14, with 3:36 to play in the half. Paytonn Spann was fouled on an attempt by Jefferson, her third. She made both shots from the line, but with 2:38 left to play in the half, Williams grabbed an offensive rebound and passed it to Castillo, who dropped in a reverse lay-up, making the score, 18-16. With time winding down in the first half, Wall hit Lutrick in transition for a lay-up, as Idalou took a, 20-16, lead into the locker room at halftime.
Lutrick drove the lane and kicked it out to Spann, who knocked down a three from the right elbow to open the second half, pushing their lead back out to, 23-16. Lutrick drew a shooting foul on their next possession on Esquibel and made one-of-two shots from the line, stretching the lead to, 24-16.
Hall took a charge on Castillo and Idalou capitalized on the turnover, as Wall buried a three from the right wing, making the score, 27-16, with under six minutes remaining in the third quarter. Esquibel was fouled on an attempt by Bricelyn Patschke and split the attempts at the line to trim the lead to, 27-17.
With under four minutes to play in the third quarter, Wall drained a three from the right elbow off of the inbound play, but Williams answered with a put-back off of her own miss and followed it up with a floater off of the assist from Cobi Saldana, cutting the lead to, 30-21, with 2:45 to play in the quarter. Spann knocked down a three from the left elbow, as they took a time out to talk things over, leading Littlefield, 33-21.
Out of the break, Lutrick dropped in a lay-up, but with under a minute to play in the quarter, Castillo was fouled on an attempt by Hall and converted both free throws to trim the lead to, 35-23. Williams took a charge on Spann, her third and in the closing seconds of the quarter, Esquibel stole the inbound pass and took it to the hoop for a lay-up, cutting the lead to, 35-25, heading into the final quarter of play.
Castillo opened the fourth quarter with a three from the left elbow off of the assist from Jefferson, but Idalou answered, as Spann knocked downa jumper from the free-throw line to make the score, 37-28. With 6:41 to play, Lutrick was fouled on an attempt by Castillo, her third. She sank both shots from the line, but Cali Saldana answered with a three from the right elbow off of the assist from Jefferson to make it a eight-point game, 39-31.
Jefferson buried a three from the right elbow, drawing an and-one foul on Lutrick, her third. She converted the free throw to cut the lead to, 39-35. Lutrick responded with a lay-up off of the inbound pass from Hall, as Littlefield took a time out with 5:04 left to play in the game. Out of the break, Esquibel drained a three from the right elbow, drawing an and-one foul on Patschke. She sank the free throw to make it a one-possession game, 41-39, with just over two minutes remaining.
With 1:33 to play, Williams was fouled on the floor by Campbell Ross and split the attempts to make it a one-point Idalou lead, 41-40. Idalou took a time out to prevent a five-second call and out of the break, Lutrick was fouled on a fastbreak attempt by Castillo, who fouled out of the contest. She made one-of-two free throws and on their next possession, Hall was fouled on a defensive rebound by Cali Saldana, who also fouled out with 1:13 to play.
Hall sank one- of- two free throws to make it a four-point game, 44-40. With under a minute to play, Jefferson was fouled on the inbound play by Wall, she converted both free throws, but on the other end, Wall was fouled on the floor by Esquibel, her fourth. Wall sank both free throws to keep it a four-point game, 4642.
Wall would split a pair of free throws in the closing seconds to ice the game, 47-42, as Littlefield fell to Idalou in their districtopener.
The Lady Cats were led in scoring by Esquibel, who netted 14 points. Jefferson tallied nine points, while Williams and Castillo each added eight points and Cali Saldana finished with three points.
The Lady Cats hosted Friona for their home-district opener on Friday. Results were not available at press time. They will continue their season on Tuesday with a road game against the Slaton Tigerettes.
Tip-off is slated for 6:15 p.m.