The Springlake-Earth Wolverines’ varsity basketball team came out on top against Muleshoe on Saturday, 69-42, for their first win of the season.
With the win, the Wolverines improve to 1-1 overall on the season.
Brennen Davis won the tip-off for the Mules, tipping it towards the Mules basket. It was caught by Irvin Tones, who took it to the hole for the first basket of the game for Muleshoe. The Wolverines answered as junior, Trace Goodman, knocked down a jumper from the left elbow off of the assist from junior, Evan DeLeon, tying the game, 2-2.
With just under six minutes to play in the opening quarter, junior, Keshan Holmes was fouled on an attempt, earning a trip to the line. He split the free throws, making the score, 3-2, as the Mules called for a time out to talk things over.
Out of the break, Tones dropped in a lay-up for the Mules, drawing an and-one foul on Holmes. He converted the free throw to finish off the three-point play, giving Muleshoe a, 5-3, advantage. The Wolverines called for a time out with 4:30 remaining in the opening quarter, and out of the break, Davis scored back-to-back buckets for the Mules, forcing the Wolverines to take another time out with 2:57 remaining in the first quarter, trailing the Mules, 9-3.
With 2:16 left to play in the quarter, Goodman picked up a steal and took it the other way for a fastbreak lay-up, trimming the lead to, 9-5. Jacob Reyes answered with a lay-up for the Mules, but DeLeon countered with a three from the right elbow for Springlake-Earth, cutting the lead to, 11-8.
With time winding down in the quarter, Tones drained a three from the left elbow to make it a five-point Muleshoe lead, 14-8, heading into quarter number two.
Holmes dropped in a put-back off of the miss by junior, Kaden Castillo, drawing an and-one on the Mules to open the second quarter. The free throw was good from Holmes, making it a three-point game, 14-11.
Zach Hasley dropped in a layup for Muleshoe to get them on the board in the second quarter, but on the other end, Holmes was fouled again on an attempt, earning a trip to the line. He made the first and missed the second, but Castillo pulled down the offensive rebound, as the Wolverines set it back up for another possession.
Sophomore, Braxton Ethridge, knocked down a jumper from the right wing off of the assist from DeLeon, to make it a three-point game, 16-14. DeLeon and Holmes each split a pair of free throws to tie the game, 16-16, with just under four minutes to play in the half and Castillo gave the Wolverines the lead, as he knocked down a jumper in the lane to make the score, 18-16.
With 2:41 left to play in the first half, DeLeon dished a no-look pass to Castillo in transition, who dropped in a lay-up to push their lead to, 20-16, as the Mules took a time out with 2:35 remaining in the half.
The Wolverines rally continued out of the break, as DeLeon dished a no-look pass to Goodman, who finished the play with a lay-up, making the score, 22-16. DeLeon followed it up with a lay-up of his own to make it an eight-point lead for the Wolverines with just over one minute to play in the half.
With just under 10 seconds remaining in the half, Holmes drained a threef rom the right elbow, but the Mules raced down the court and Tones buried a three at the buzzer to cut the Wolverines’ lead to six points, 27-21, heading into the locker room at halftime.
Goodman was fouled on an attempt by Matthew Fabela to open the second half; he made both attempts at the line to stretch their lead to eight points, 29-21. Doc Gardner answered with a lay-up for the Mules, but Holmes responded with a lay-up on the other end, off of the assist from Castillo to make the score, 31-23.
Hasley scored a put-back, but Castillo came right back on the other end with a bucket for the Wolverines, pushing their lead to, 33-25, with 5:38 remaining in the third quarter. The back-and-forth scoring continued, as Hasley knocked down a jump hook in the lane, but the Wolverines again answered, as Castillo dropped in a teardrop in the lane, making the score, 35-27.
With 4:48 remaining in the quarter, Gardner dropped in a lay-up, but on the other end, Ethridge used a euro-step to get to the basket for a lay-up, drawing a blocking foul on Hasley. He missed the free throw, but Holmes was able to grab the offensive rebound, and knocked down a jumper from the right wing to stretch their lead to double-digits, 39-29.
Muleshoe took a time out with 4:17 to play in the quarter, and out of the break, Castillo picked up a steal and took it the other way for a fast-break lay-up, making the score, 41-29. The Mules were able to pick up a turnover of their own, as Fabela grabbed a steal and took it to the hoop for a fast-break lay-up. The Wolverines continued to roll on offense, as Castillo drew a shooting foul on Davis. He split the free throws to make the score, 42-31, with 3:15 left to play in the quarter.
DeLeon drained a three from the left elbow and closed out the quarter with another three from the left elbow to make the score, 48-31, heading into the fmal quarter of play.
Torres opened the fourth quarter with a three for the Mules, but on the other end, Castillo dropped in a put-back off of his own miss, drawing an and-one foul on Hasley. The free throw was no good, but Ethridge was there for the offensive rebound and putback, pushing their lead out to, 52-34.
Castillo dropped in a tear-drop from the right baseline off of the assist from DeLeon, but the Mules answered with a put-back by Hasley, making the score, 54-36, with 6:39 to play in the game. DeLeon sank another three from the left wing off of the assist from Castillo, but on the other end, Davis was fouled on an attempt by DeLeon. He missed both free throws, but Hasley was able to grab two offensive rebounds before dropping in the put-back to trim the lead to, 57-38.
The Mules took a time out with 4:59 left to play and out of the break, DeLeon drained a three from the top of the key off of the assist from Castillo, making the score, 60-38.
Hasley scored a put-back for the Mules and Jacob Reyes scored a put-back off of his own miss to trim the lead to, 60-42, before DeLeon drilled another three from the right elbow off of the assist from Goodman, extending their lead to, 63-42, with 2:30 to play in the game.
Holmes split a pair of free throws and DeLeon turned a steal into a lay-up for the Wolverines, making the score, 66-42, with 1:33 to play in the game. Jaramillo buried a three from the left wing to close out the game, as the Wolverines took the contest, 69-42.
DeLeon led the team in scoring with a team-high 22 points and he was joined in double-figures scoring by Castillo, who fmished with 15 points and Holmes, who finished with 14 points. Goodman tallied nine points, while Ethridge added six points and Jaramillo finished with three points.