The Springlake-Earth Wolverines’ varsity basketball team cruised past the Kress Kangaroos on Wednesday at home, 73-41.
With the win, the Wolverines improve to 3-2 in district play.
Quavi Ellis knocked down a jumper in the lane to open the game for Kress and Landon Gilles banked in a three from the top of the key and followed it up with a lay-up in transition, as the Kangaroos opened the contest on a, 7-0, scoring run. With 5:47 remaining in the first quarter, Alex Alvarez was fouled on an attempt by Landry Young. He made one-oftwo shots at the line to get the Wolverines on the board.
Gilles drained a three from the right wing for Kress, but JJ Jaramillo answered with a three from the top of the key to trim the lead to, 10-4. Jaramillo followed it up with a lay-up on the left side and Alvarez kept the rally going with a jumper through contact, drawing an and-one foul on Ethan Crump. He converted the free throw, making the score, 10-9, with 3:27 remaining in the quarter.
Jaramillo buried a three from the left wing, off of an assist from Isaiah Tovar to put the Wolverines in front, 12-10, but Kress answered with a bucket to tie the game, 12-12. Jaramillo knocked down a jumper from the right side, but Crump answered with a three from the left elbow to put Kress back in front, 15-14. Alvarez dropped in a put-back off of his own miss, but Ellis knocked down a short jumper from the right side and Calen Teeple dropped in a layup off of a Springlake-Earth turnover to extend their lead to, 19-16, with 1:17 left to play in the first.
With time winding down in the quarter, Alvarez dropped in a putback off of his own miss to cut the lead to one point, 19-18, but on the other end, Ellis banked in a jumper from the free-throw line, pushing the Kress lead to, 21-18, going into the second quarter.
Isaiah Tovar hit Alvarez for a layup to open the second quarter and Isaiah Tovar followed it up with a three from the left elbow, putting the Wolverines back in front, 2321. With 6:10 to play in the first half, Isaiah Tovar picked up a steal and took it to the hoop for a layup, drawing an and-one foul on Gilles. He missed the free throw, leaving the score, 25-21. Isaiah Tovar drove the right baseline, dishing a no- look pass to Jaramillo, who finished the play with a lay-up, making the score, 27-21.
Ellis dropped in a lay-up for Kress, but on their next possession, Kaleb Castillo took a charge on Ellis, as Springlake-Earth took a time out with 4:52 remaining in the half. Out of the break, Alvarez dropped in a lay-up off of the assist from Froylan Agundiz, drawing an and-one foul on Crump. He converted the free throw to stretch the lead to sevevn points, 30-23.
Kress took a time out with 3:33 remaining in the half, and out of the break, Crump was fouled on an attempt by Isaiah Tovar; he made the first and missed the second, but Ellis dropped in a putback to cut the lead to, 30-26, with 1:24 remaining in the half. Jaramillo drained a three for the Wolverines, and Isaiah Tovar closed out the half with a lay-up, drawing an andone foul on Gilles. He missed the free throw, leaving the score, 3526, going into the locker room at halftime.
Jaramillo opened the scoring in the second half with a three from the right elbow off of the assist from Alvarez, stretching the lead to, 38-27. Castillo dropped in a layup for the Wolverines, as Kress took a time out with 4:29 remaining in the third. Out of the break, Agundiz dropped in a bucket for Springlake-Earth and Alvarez followed it up with a lay-up to make the score, 44-29, with 3:03 remaining in the quarter.
Gilles was fouled on an attempt and made both free throws to trim the lead to, 44-31, but Jaramillo answered with a three from the left elbow and on their next possession, Agundiz was fouled on an attempt by Young. He converted both free throws to stretch the lead to 18 points, 49-31. Ellis knocked down a jumper in the lane for the Kangaroos, but Agundiz nailed a three to extend their lead to, 52-33, with under a minute to play in the third. Kress dropped in a bucket, but Jaramillo drained a three from the left wing at the buzzer to push their lead to, 55-35, heading into the final quarter of play.
Agundiz pump faked under the basket before dropping in a layup to open the final quarter of play, but Gilles answered with a three from the top of the key, off of an assist from Teeple, making the score, 57-38. Isaiah Tovar drained a three from the left elbow off of an assist from Alvarez, and Alvarez followed it up with a floater, as Kress took a time out, trailing the Wolverines, 62-38, with 5:03 left to play.
Out of the break, Ellis knocked down a pull-up jumper in the lane, but Jaramillo dropped in a floater from the right side to make the score, 64- 41. Timothy Tovar dropped in a put-back off of a miss by Jaramillo and Alvarez drained a three from the top of the key off of an assist from Timothy Tovar. Gavin Gonzales and Timothy Tovar dropped in back-to-back buckets to close out the game for the Wolverines, as they took down Kress, 73-41.
The Wolverines’ were led in scoring by Jaramillo, who finished with 28 points. He was joined in double-figures by Alvarez, who netted 18 points and Isaiah Tovar chipped in 10 points.
Agundiz chipped in nine points, while Timothy Tovar added four points and Gonzales and Castillo each finished with two points in the contest.
The Wolverines were at Nazareth on Friday to take on the Swifts. Results were not available at press time. They will continue district play on Tuesday against Happy.
Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m.