The Littlefield Wildcats’varsity basketball team cruised past the Sudan Hornets in their tournament- opener at the Wildcat Classic on Monday, 67-36.
With the win, the Wildcats improved to 1-0 in tournament play on the week, while the Hornets fell to 1-0.
Elijah Rodriguez grabbed a steal and got to Jayden Barrio for a lay-up to open the contest and on their next possession, Barrio buried a three from the right wing, off of the assist from Andrew Davis, pushing their lead to, 5-0, with 6:47 remaining in the opening quarter. Ben Castillo was fouled on an attempt by Jacob Baker, earning a trip to the line. He converted both attempts at the line to make the score, 7-0.
Sudan took a time out with 6:01 to play in the first quarter, and out of the break, Davis drove the lane, kicking it across to Barrio on the wing, who drained a three to extend their lead to, 10-0. With three minutes to go in the quarter, Barrio dropped the ball down low to Rodriguez, who spun to the basket for a lay-up to stretch their lead to, 12-0.
Barrio dropped in a floater in transition off of an assist from Rodriguez, but on the other end, Caleb Groetken was fouled on an attempt by Davis, earning a trip to the line. He made one-of-two shots from the line, trimming the lead to, 14-1. Barrio drove the left side for a lay-up, but Kyler Edwards answered on the other end with a lay-up off of an assist from Groetken, trimming the lead to, 16-3. In the closing seconds of the quarter, Barrio knocked down a jumper from the freethrow line to make the score, 18-3, heading into the second quarter.
Davis delivered a pass through traffic to Rodriguez for a lay-up to open the second frame, and Sudan took a time out to prevent a turnover with 6:59 to play in the first half. Out of the break, Groetken buried a three from the left elbow, but Sammy Saenz answered, going coast-to-coast for a floater, pushing the lead to, 22-6, with under six minutes to play in the half.
Rodriguez was fouled on a put-back attempt by Brian Delgado and he sank both shots at the line to extend their lead to, 24-6. Davis kept it going with a fast-break lay-up, as Sudan took another time out to talk things over with 4:25 remaining in the half.
Out of the break, Groetken got out on the fast-break and dropped in a lay-up off of a turnover by Zach Trevino, but on the other end, Barrio was fouled on an attempt by Kye Polk, earning a trip to the line. Barrio converted one-of-two shots from the line, making the score, 27-8, with just over three minutes to go in the half.
Jose Payan took a charge on Aspen Reyher, but Sudan answered with a lay-up to cut the lead to, 27-10. Blayton Soliz buried a three from the left wing, off of an assist from Payan and Nate Castaneda dropped in a lay-up off of an assist from Trevino, pushing their lead to, 32-10.With time winding down in the half, Polk drove the left baseline for a lay-up, but on the other end, Barrio drove the middle for a lay-up to beat the buzzer, making the score, 3412, going into the locker room at halftime.
Baker went coast-to-coast for a lay-up to open the second half, but Littlefield answered with a bucket to make the score, 36-14, with 7:01 left to play in the third quarter. Reyher dropped in a lay-up over Saenz, but on the other end, Rodriguez dropped in a put-back off of a miss by Saenz, and Barrio followed it up with a lay-up to extend their lead to, 40-16, with 5:30 remaining in the quarter.
Groetken knocked down a jumper from the right elbow for Sudan, but Rodriguez responded with a lay-up in transition and Barrio followed it up with a put-back off of a miss by Rodriguez, stretching the lead to, 44-18. Brian Delgado dropped in a lay-up for Sudan, and Haden Provence scored a lay-up on a fast-break off of an assist from Brian Delgado, trimming the lead to, 44-22. Littlefield took a time out and out of the break, Andrew Larson was fouled on an attempt by Soliz, his second of the game. Larson made oneof- two shots at the line, trimming the lead to, 44-23.
On the other end, Chase Coronado was fouled on an attempt by Edwards and made one-of-two shots at the line, but Castaneda followed it up with a three from the left wing, off of an assist from Payan, pushing their lead to, 48-23. With under a minute to go in the third quarter, Brian Delgado was fouled on an attempt by Payan. He made one-of-two shots at the line to make the score, 4824.
Soliz dropped in a floater from the right side, but Brian Deglado closed out the quarter with a three from the right wing, off of an assist from Provence, making the score, 50-27, going into the final quarter of play.
Barrio hit a cutting Rodriguez for a lay-up to open the fourth quarter, but on the other end, Polk was fouled on an attempt by Castillo. He made one-oftwo shots at the line, making the score, 52-28. With 6:29 remaining, Barrio grabbed a steal and used a euro step to get to the basket for a lay-up, pushing the lead back out to, 54-28.
Littlefield dropped in another bucket and Castaneda and Davis followed it up with backto- back lay-ups to make it a six-point run for the Wildcats, making the score, 60-28. Sudan scored to end the rally and Larson hit Provence in transition for a fast-break lay-up, making the score, 60-32, with 2:35 left to play. Baker grabbed a steal and dropped in an easy lay-up, but Trevino answered with a lay-up, off of an assist from Castaneda, making the score, 62-34.
With under a minute to go, Coronado was fouled on an attempt by Baker, his third. He made one-of-two shots at the line, and Castaneda followed it up with a lay-up on the right side, pushing the lead to, 6534. Castaneda heaved a long inbound pass down court to Coronado, who finished the play with a lay-up, but Edwards closed out the game on the other end with a lay-up for Sudan, as Littlefield took the contest, 67-36.
Barrio led the Wildcats in scoring with 23 points to go along with five rebounds, four assists and two steals, while Rodriguez joined him in doublefigures scoring, tallying 14 points, nine rebounds, two assists and one steal. Castaneda chipped in nine points, four rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block, while Soliz contributed, five points, two rebounds and one block.
Davis added four points, three assists and two rebounds, while Coronado tallied four points, one rebound and one steal, and Saenz chipped in four points, four rebounds, one assist and two blocks. Castillo added two points, six rebounds and one steal, while Trevino finished with two points, two rebounds and one assist. Payan contributed four rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block.
The Hornets were led by Groetken, who had eight points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal, while Baker chipped in six points, two steals, two blocks and one assist, and Brian Delgado contributed six points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks.
Provence added six points, one assist and one block, while Polk chipped in five points and one rebound, and Reyher contributed two points and three rebounds. Edwards added two points, one rebound, one assist and one block, and Larson finished with one points, two rebounds and one steal.