The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity basketball team held off the Idalou Wildcats on Friday, spoiling Idalou’s senior night with a, 5956, victory on the road.
With the win, the Wildcats improve to 20-8 overall, 9-4 in district play.
Justin Morphis opened the game with a jumper from the left wing for Idalou, but Ryan Williams answered with a lay-up in the lane to tie the game, 2-2. Lucas Jarnagin responded with a jumper from the left elbow, but on the other end, Williams answered, drawing a shooting foul on Jenson Davis. He converted both attempts at the line to tie the game, 4-4.
Williams drained a three from the top of the key off of the assist from Ben Castillo, but Kutter Houchin answered with a three of his own from the top of the key, knotting the game, 7-7. Nate Castaneda drove the right baseline for a lay-up off of the assist from Chip Green and on the next play, Williams hit Green with a long bounce pass for a lay-up in transition to push their lead to, 117, as Idalou took a time out to talk things over with 5:12 to play in the opening quarter.
Castaneda picked up a steal and hit Kam McCarty with the outlet pass for the lay-up, pushing the lead to, 13- 7. Williams and McCarty nailed back-to-back threes from the left elbow off of the assists from Castaneda and Green picked up a steal, dishing the outlet pass to McCarty on the fast-break for a lay-up, stretching their lead to, 21-7, with 1:24 remaining in the opening quarter.
Jayden Barrio was fouled on an attempt by Houchin and converted both shots at the line, but Houchin answered with a three from the right wing, trimming the lead to, 23-10. With under a minute to go in the first quarter, Williams drove the lane, kicking it across to Sammy Saenz for a lay-up, pushing the lead back out to, 25-10. With time winding down in the quarter, McCarty picked up a steal and sprinted to the hoop for a fastbreak lay-up to beat the buzzer, pushing their lead to, 27-10, as the first quarter came to a close.
Williams opened the second frame with a put-back off of a miss by Green and Williams followed it up with an outlet pass to Green for a lay-up, extending their lead to, 31-10, with 7:04 to play in the first half. Houchin dropped in a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Saenz to end the scoring drought for Idalou. He converted the free throw to trim the lead to, 31-13.
McCarty drew a shooting foul on Kamdon Lutrick and sank both free throws, but Houchin answered with a three from top of the key and Jarnagin was fouled on a fast-break by McCarty with 4:48 remaining in the half. He sank both free throws to make the score, 33-17. Jarnagin followed it up with a put-back off of his own miss to cut the lead to, 33-19, but Williams answered hitting a cutting Barrio for a lay-up to make the score, 3519.
Morphis dropped in a put-back off of a miss by Houchin and Lutrick followed it up with a layup in transition off of the assist from Houchin to slice the lead to, 35-23, as Littlefield took a time out to talk things over with 2:47 to play in the half. Out of the break, Williams dropped in a floater from the left elbow off of the assist from Barrio, but Houchin dropped in a put-back in the lane and followed it up with a second-chance bucket, drawing an and- one foul on Castaneda. He converted the free throw to make the score, 37-28.
Green hit Barrio on a back-door cut for a lay-up, pushing their lead back out to, 39-28, going into the locker room at halftime.
Idalou opened the second half on a, 6-0, scoring run before Green hit Barrio for a lay-up on the left side, making the score, 41-34, with just under five minutes to play in the third quarter. Idalou answered with a bucket, but Green responded with a three from the top of the key off of the assist from McCarty, pushing the lead out to, 44-36.
Davis and Houchin knocked down back-to-back threes for Idalou to make it a one-possession Littlefield lead, 44-42. With 2:31 to play in the quarter, McCarty drove the middle for a lay-up, drawing an and- one foul on Peytan Moyers. He missed the free throw leaving the score, 46-42.
Morphis would split a pair of free throws for Idalou and Davis followed it up with a three from the right wing to tie the game, 4646. However, Green would pick up a steal and pull-up for a three from the top of the key on the break to close out the third quarter with Littlefield in front, 49-46.
Green opened the fourth quarter with a three from the top of the key off of the assist from Williams and Jarnagin was called for an illegal screen, giving the ball back to Littlefield with 7:38 to play in the game. Idalou would regain possession, as Lutrick dropped in a layup, drawing an and-one foul on Castaneda, his fourth. He converted the free throw to trim the lead to, 52-49.
McCarty drove the right side for a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Jarnagin, his third. He converted the free throw, but Idalou answered with a three to make it a one- possession game, 55- 52. Littlefield took a time out with 3:43 to play, and out of the break, Williams drove the left side for a layup to make it a five-point game, 57-52.
Houchin hit Jarnagin for a layup, before dropping in a put-back off of his own miss to make it a one-point game, 57-56. They took a time out with 2:11 to play, but came up empty, as Littlefield called a time out to prevent a jump ball with 51.5 seconds remaining. Out of the break, Barrio was fouled on the floor by Idalou. He made oneof two shots at the line to make it a one possession game, 58-56.
McCarty was fouled on the floor by Lutrick with one second remaining. He made one-of-two shots at the line, as Littlefield went on to take the contest, 59-56, on the road.
The Wildcats were led by McCarty off the bench with 17 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal. Williams tallied 16 points, four assists, four rebounds and one block, while Green contributed 13 points, nine rebounds, four assists, three steals and one block, and Barrio chipped in nine points, three rebounds, two steals and one assist.
Castaneda added two points, two assists, one rebound and one steal, while Saenz finished with two points in the contest.
The Wildcats closed out their regular season on Tuesday with a home game against Friona. Results were not available at press time. They will continue their season next week when they begin the post-season.
Match-ups are TBA.