The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity basketball team opened their season on Saturday with a loss at home to Estacado, 51-43.
With the loss, they fall to 0-1 overall on the season.
Azariah Reed opened the contest with a three for the Lady Matadors and Tiona Duvall followed it up with a steal, taking it the other way for a fast-break, pushing their lead to, 5-0, with 5:37 to play in the opening quarter. Senior, Ari Castillo, drove to the basket for a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Aaleigha Hennings with 5:24 to play in the first quarter. She converted the free throw to get the Lady Cats on the board, trimming the lead to, 5-3.
Danali Perez buried another three for Estacado from the left wing and Ashondra Johnson picked up a steal taking it the other way for a fast- break lay- up, stretching their lead to, 3-10, with just under four minutes left to play in the quarter. Castillo answered with a drive to the basket for a layup and on their next possession freshman, Amoni Jefferson, went strong to the basket, drawing a foul on Jada Phea. Jefferson converted both free throws to cut the lead to three points, 10-7, but Estacado answered on the other end with a lay- up by Addie McNeal, pushing their lead back out to, 12-7, with 2:24 to play in the quarter.
Castillo passed the ball down low to Nia Clevland, who drew a shooting foul on Perez, earning a trip to the line. She converted both free throws to cut the lead back to three points, but on the other end, Phea buried a three from the left elbow, Estacado’s third of the quarter to push the lead to, 15-9.
The Lady Matadors took a time out with 35.9 seconds to play in the first quarter, and out of the break, Jefferson picked up a steal in their own end and dropped in a put-back off of her own miss to close out the quarter with the Lady Matadors on top, 15-11.
Jefferson opened the second frame with a steal, taking it to the hopp for a bucket, but with 4:06 to play in the half, Perez buried a three for the Lady Matadors, pushing their lead back out to, 18-13, as Littlefield took a time out with 3:51 to play in the half.
Out of the break, Jefferson was fouled on an attempt by Lyfe Hamilton and converted one-oftwo shots from the line to trim the lead to, 19-13. McNeal dropped in a put-back off of a miss by Duvall, but Jefferson answered on the other end with a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Reed. She missed the free throw, but got her own rebound, as she reset the offense with Estacado in front, 2115. With 1:20 left to play in the half, Jefferson drove the right side, kicking the ball across the lane to Cleveland for a lay-up, cutting the lead to, 21-17.
Estacado answered with a bucket on the other end, but with 27.9 seconds to play in the half, Cleveland was fouled on an attempt by Reed. She converted both shots at the line to make it a five-point game, 23-19, but with time winding down in the half, McNeal dropped in a reverse layup to close out the half with Estacado in front, 25-19.
Brianna Martinez was fouled on an attempt by McNeal to open the second half and converted both shots at the line to make it a fourpoint Estacado lead, 25- 20. Jefferson followed it up with a steal in their own end, drawing a shooting foul on Duvall, her third. Jefferson converted both shots at the line to make it a one-possession game, 25- 22. However, Hamilton dropped in back-to-back lay-ups for the Lady Matadors and Perez followed it up with a fast-break lay-up off of a Littlefield turnover, pushing their lead back out to, 31-22, with 6:10 to play in the third quarter.