The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity basketball team got off to a quick start on the road Friday night at Roosevelt, as they took down the Lady Eagles, 56-38.
With the win, the Lady Cats improve to 19-8 overall, 9-4 in district play.
Cali Saldana drained a three from the right elbow off of an assist from Ari Castillo, but Roosevelt answered with a bucket to cut the lead to, 3-2. Castillo would drive the lane, dumping the ball off to Nevaeh Esquibel for a lay-up, as she drew an and-one foul on Makynzie Mendoza. She converted the free throw to stretch their lead to, 6-2, with 6:41 remaining in the opening-quarter.
Madison Williams kept it going with a three from the right wing off of the assist from Amoni Jefferson and on their next possession, Jefferson was fouled on an attempt by Brec Wheeler. She made one-of-two shots from the line, pushing their lead to, 10-2. The Lady Cats stayed on the offensive, as Cali Saldana banked in a pull-up jumper from the right elbow to extend their lead to doubledigits, 12-2.
With just under four minutes to go in the first quarter, Wheeler was fouled on an attempt by Castillo, her second. She split the attempts at the line to end the scoring drought for Roosevelt, but Jefferson answered on the other end, driving the right baseline for a lay-up, making the score, 14-3, as the Lady Eagles took a time out to talk things over with 2:53 to play in the quarter.
Out of the break, Mendoza knocked down a three from the left elbow for Roosevelt, but Jefferson answered with a three of her own from the left wing, off of the assist from Marysa Saenz. With time winding down in the first quarter, Mendoza buried a three from the left wing to trim the lead to, 17-9, as the first quarter came to a close.
Cali Saldana pulled up for a three from the right elbow to open the second frame, but Stormy Waters-Whitehead responded with a layup on the other end to trim the lead to, 20-11. With under six minutes to play in the half, Williams knocked down a jumper from the left wing off of the assist from Cali Saldana, as Roosevelt took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Esquibel drove the right side for a lay-up and on their next possession, Cali Saldana was fouled on an attempt by Avery Putman. She sank both shots at the line and followed it up with a lay-up to stretch their lead to 17 points, 28-11.
Roosevelt, though, would close out the half on a, 6-0, scoring run to cut the Littlefield lead to, 28-17, going into the locker room at halftime.
After a Roosevelt time out to begin the second half, Kyndal Grimes drove the left side of the basket for a lay-up and Williams took a charge on Mendoza to give the Lady Cats an extra possession, with 6:34 to play in the third quarter. Cali Saldana drained a three from the right elbow and was fouled on their next possession by Jazzy Chavira. She converted both shots at the line to extend their lead to, 31-19, with 4:58 remaining in the quarter.
Mendoza knocked down a three from the right elbow for Roosevlet, but Castillo answered with a layup off of a Lady Eagles turnover on Littlefield’s side of the floor and she followed it up with a steal at mid-court, taking it to the hoop for the fast-break lay-up, stretching the lead to, 37-22. Cali Saldana kept the run going with a jumper from the right elbow off of the assist from Castillo and Bri Martinez buried a three from the left elbow, making the score, 42-22, with 1:40 remaining in the quarter.
Jefferson picked up a steal and tossed the outlet pass down court to Esquibel for a fast-break layup, but with time winding down in the third quarter, Chavira picked up a steal and knocked down a jumper from the right elbow, trimming the lead to, 44-24, going into the final quarter of play.
Jefferson opened the fourth quarter with a three and Cali Saldana followed it up with a steal, taking it the other way for a fastbreak lay-up, pushing the lead to, 49-24. Jefferson kept it going with a jumper from the left corner, but Mendoza answered with a three from the top of the key and Chavira followed it up with a fast-break layup off of a steal, cutting the lead to, 51-29, with 5:11 left to play.
Jefferson knocked down another three from the top of the key off of the assist from Cali Saldana, but Roosevelt answered, as Mendoza and Wheeler knocked down back-to-back threes, cutting the lead to, 54-35, with 2:47 left to play. Jefferson was fouled on an attempt by Grimes and converted both free throws, but on the other end, Wheeler split a pair of free throws and Chavira dropped in a floater on the left wing, as Littlefield went on to defeat Roosevelt, 56-38.
The Lady Cats were led by Cali Saldana, who netted 21 points. She was joined in double-figures scoring by Jefferson, who chipped in 16 points. Esquibel tallied seven points, while Williams contributed five points, Castillo added four points and Martinez finished with three points in the contest.
The Lady Cats closed out the regular season on Tuesday with a home game against the Dimmitt Bobbies. Results were not available at press time. Play-off matchups are TBA.