The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity basketball team fell to the Hale Center Owls at home on Tuesday, 55-47, in non-district play.
With the loss, the Wildcats fall to 14-8 overall on the year.
Ryan Mesquite got the Owls on the board with a bucket, drawing an and-one foul on Elijah Rodriguez. He converted the foul to put Hale Center in front, 3-0, with 7:21 to play in the opening quarter. Jayden Barrio answered with a floater in the lane and he followed it up with another floater, this time from the right elbow to put the Wildcats in front, 4-3, with 5:16 left to play in the first quarter.
Mesquite responded with a three from the left elbow and Carter Gonzales knocked down a jumper in the lane to push Hale Center’s lead to, 8-4, with 4:32 remaining in the quarter. Jose Payan hit a cutting Nate Castaneda for a lay-up, as he drew an andone foul on Darius Borrego. He converted the free throw to trim the Owl’s lead to, 8-7.
With 2:10 remaining in the quarter, Barrio grabbed an offensive rebound and dropped in a floater from the right wing to push the lead to, 9-8, but Hale Center would take a time out with 1:28 to play in the first quarter, and out of the break, Gonzales would close out the first quarter, using a euro-step to get into the paint for a lay-up, as the Owls took a, 10-9, lead into quarter number two.
Sammy Saenz knocked down a jumper from the left wing, off of an assist from Barrio, and Barrio followed it up with a lay-up off of a Hale Center turnover to push their lead to, 13-10, with 6:09 to play in the first half. Saenz kept it going, as he hit Barrio in transition for a lay-up to make it a fivepoint game, 15-10.
The Owls would not go away, as Gonzales drained a three from the left elbow to make it a one-possession Littlefield lea, 15-13. Saenz would answer on the other end, hitting a cutting Rodriguez for a lay-up to make the score, 17-13, as Hale Center took a time out with 5:12 to play in the half.
Out of the break, Blayton Soliz hit a cutting Rodriguez for a floater in the lane, but Boogie Cano answered with a drive through the middle for a lay-up, making the score, 19-15, with 4:25 to play in the half. Kauner Cerbantez picked up a steal on the Owls end of the floor and got it to Mesquite, who knocked down a jumper from the right wing, but the Wildcats responded quickly, as Barrio drove the right side for a lay-up and Saenz followed it up with an outlet pass to Rodriguez for a fast-break lay-up, pushing their lead back out to, 2317, with 3:03 to play in the half.
Mesquite answered with a floater in the lane for Hale Center, but Saenz came right back down the floor, driving the lane for a lay-up to make the score, 25-19. Cerbantez drained a three from the right wing, as Littlefield took a time out with 1:22 to play in the half. Out of the break, Gonzales drove the left side for a layup to close out the first half with Littlefield in front, 2524.
Saenz opened the second half with a jumper from the left side, off of the assist from Castaneda, but Mesquite buried a three from the left elbow, off of an assist from DJ Hinojosa to tie the game, 27-27, with 6:40 to play in the third quarter. On the other end, Barrio was fouled on an attempt by Hinojosa. He sank both shots at the line, but Mesquite buried a three from the right elbow to give Hale Center a one-point advantage, 30-29. Barrio answered with a three from the right elbow, off of an assist from Saenz, but Hinojosa responded with a three from the left elbow to regain the lead for the Owls, 33-32, with 4:23 remaining in the quarter. Barrio dropped in a floater from the left side in transition, but Hinojosa answered with a lay-up, off of the inbound pass from Gonzales under the basket, making the score, 35-34.
Cerbantez followed it up with a jumper on the right side and Gonzales kept it going coming off of a screen to knock down a jumper from the right elbow, stretching their lead to, 3934, with 1:46 to play in the quarter. Castillo dropped in a lay-up off of an inbound pass from Barrio under the basket, but Gonzales answered, driving the left side for a lay-up to make the score, 41-36.
Littlefield closed out the third quarter with a bucket to make the score, 41-38, going into the final quarter of play.
Saenz opened the fourth quarter with a steal under their own basket, drawing a shooting foul on Cano. Saenz sank both shots at the line, making it a one-point game, 41- 40. Damian Martinez responded with a lay-up, off of the assist from Hinojosa, and Hinojosa followed it up with a three from the left elbow, off of an assist from Cano, pushing their lead to, 46-40.
Gonzales kept it going with a put-back off of a miss by Hinojosa on a fastbreak, as Littlefield took a time out with 5:15 to play in the game. Out of the break, Saenz drove the lane, dumping the ball off to Rodriguez for a lay-up to cut the lead to six points 4842. With 3: 02 to play, Hinojosa drove the lane, kicking it out to Mesquite on the left wing, who buried a three to make it a nine-point game, 51-42.
Barrio dropped in a floater from the left side and Littlefield took a time out with 1:55 to play, trailing, 51-44. Out of the break, Barrio hit Castaneda on the left wing for a three to make it a four-point game, 51-47.
Hale Center took a time out with 47.8 seconds remaining, and out of the break, Gonzales split a pair of free throws and Mesquite followed it up with a steal from Saenz, as he was fouled on the floor by Castillo with 26.6 seconds to play, earning a trip to the line. He sank both shots at the line to push the Owl’s lead to, 54-47.
Mesquite split a pair of free throws to close out the game, as Hale Center took down the Wildcats, 55-47.
Barrio led the Wildcats in scoring with 21 points, while Saenz netted 10 points and Rodriguez chipped in eight points. Castaneda added six points and Castillo finished with two points in the contest.
The Wildcats were at Shallowater on Friday to take on the Mustangs. Results were not available at press time. They will continue their season on Tuesday with a home game against Muleshoe.
Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.