The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity basketball team cruised past the Dimmitt Bobcats on the road Friday night, taking their first district meeting, 68-42.
With the win, the Wildcats improve to 14-6 overall, 3-2 in district play.
Enrique Holguin drained a three from the right wing to open the contest for Dimmitt, but Jayden Barrio answered with a lay-up in transition off of the assist from Chip Green, and Kam McCarty followed it up with a three from the right elbow off of the assist from Ryan Williams, pushing their lead to, 5-3, with just under five minutes to play in the opening quarter.
Frankie Cortez scored on a tip in, but on the other end, Barrio was fouled on an attempt by Kaden Carpio; he split the attempts at the line, making the score, 6-5. Williams hit Barrio with an outlet pass, as he finished through contact for a lay-up and he followed it up with a jumper from the left elbow off of the assist from Williams, stretching the lead to, 10-5.
Carpio dropped in a lay-up, but the Wildcats answered with a bucket and Williams knocked down back-to-back threes to close out the first quarter with Littlefield in front, 18-7.
Carpio dropped in a lay-up to open the second frame and Keenan Hernandez knocked down a jumper from the left baseline, before Williams hit Barrio with a pass on the fast-break for a layup, making the score, 20-11, with 4:37 left to play in the half. Nate Castaneda picked up a steal and dished the outlet pass down court to Green, who was fouled on the attempt by Carpio. He converted both shots at the line to push their lead to, 22-11, with 2:29 remaining in the half.
Green picked up a steal and got it ahead to McCarty on the break for a lay-up and on the next play, McCarty returned the favor, dishing the ball to Green in transition for a lay-up, pushing the lead to, 26-11. Justin Saenz answered with a three from the left wing for Dimmitt, but Green responded on the other end with a three from the left elbow off of the assist from McCarty, making the score, 29-14.
Holguin dropped in a put-back off of a miss by Jadrian Herrera, but with time winding down in the quarter, McCarty knocked down a pull-up jumper from the right elbow and followed it up with a poke away for a steal, finishing with a slam dunk to close out the half with Littlefield in front, 33-16.
Cortez hit Carpio with a no-look pass for a lay-up to open the third quarter, but Green answered with a three from the top of the key off of the assist from McCarty and Barrio followed it up with a transition lay-up to stretch their lead to, 38-18, with 6:19 remaining in the third quarter.
Isaiah Ramirez and McCarty exchanged threes and Castaneda hit Green in transition for a three from the left elbow to make the score, 44-21. Alex Hernandez buried a three from the left elbow for Dimmitt, but McCarty responded with a jumper in the lane to make the score, 46-24, with just over four minutes remaining in the quarter.
Keenan Hernandez was fouled on an attempt by Castaneda; he made one-of-two shots from the line, but on the other end, Williams hit Barrio in transition for a floater from the right wing, pushing the lead to, 48-25. Holguin dropped in a lay-up in transition, but Castaneda responded with a lay-up, extending the lead to, 5027, with 2:41 left to play. Saenz dropped in a lay-up on a fast-break for Dimmitt, as Littlefield took a time out to talk things over with 2:33 to play in the third quarter.
Out of the break, Williams hit Castaneda with a no-look bounce pass, as he drew a shooting foul on Cortez. He made one-of-two shots from the line, but Carpio answered with a jumper from the left baseline, trimming the lead to, 51-31. With under a minute to go in the third, Cortez dropped in a put-back off of a miss by Saenz, but on the next play, McCarty picked up a steal in their own end and got it to Barrio for a lay-up to close out the third quarter with Littlefield in front, 53-33.
Keenan Hernandez was fouled on an attempt by Castaneda to open the fourth quarter. He sank both free throws to make the score, 53-35, but on the next play, Green drove the right side for a lay-up, drawing an and- one foul on Carpio. He converted the free throw and Williams followed it up with a lay-up off of an assist from Green to stretch the lead to, 58-35, with 5:39 left to play.
After a pair of missed free throws by Alex Hernandez, Green buried a three from the left wing off of the assist from Barrio, but Saenz answered with a put-back to make the score, 61-37. Williams scored a lay-up in transition, but Alex Hernandez and Carpio scored back-to-back lay-ups, cutting the lead to, 63-41, as Littlefield took a time out with 3:35 to play in the game.
Out of the break, Herrera was fouled on an attempt by Eizeah Coleman; he made one-of-two shots from the line, but Andrew Davis answered with a steal for a fast-break lay-up and Jose Payan followed it up with a three from the right wing off of the assist from Ben Castillo, as Littlefield took down Dimmitt on the road, 68-42.
The Wildcats were led by Green, who poured in 22 points, to go along with seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and one block. Barrio chipped in 15 points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals, while McCarty tallied 14 points, seven assists, four steals and two rebounds, and Williams contributed 10 points, seven assists, six rebounds and one steal.
Castaneda tallied three points, four rebounds, three steals and one assist, while Payan added three points and one rebound and Davis finished with two points, one rebound and one steal.
The Wildcats hosted Idalou on Friday for their first district meeting. Results were not available at press time. They will continue district play on Friday with a road game against Friona.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.