The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity basketball team’s season came to an end on Thursday night, as they fell to the Canadian Lady Cats in the Class 3A Area Round of the Play-offs at Bushland High School, 58-31. With the loss, the Lady Cats
With the loss, the Lady Cats close out the season with a mark of 22-12 overall, 9-3 in district play. Canadian opened the game on
Canadian opened the game on a, 7-0 scoring run, before Littlefield called for a time out to talk things over with 6:42 left to play in the opening quarter. Out of the break, Arianna Cruz scored a fast-break lay-up off of a steal to trim the lead to, 7-2, but on the other end, Jazmin Dominguez was fouled on an attempt and split the free throws to push their lead to, 8-2, with 4:23 remaining in the first quarter.
Canadian would go on a, 6-0, scoring run, before Brookelyn Gau dropped in a lay-up to make the score, 13-4, with 1:10 left to play in the quarter. Canadian quickly answered with a lay-up, but in the closing seconds of the quarter, Madison McNeese used a strong drive to the basket to get to the left side for a lay-up, making the score, 16-6, as the first quarter came to a close.
Briley Merket drained a three to open the second quarter, as they quickly called a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Mattie Boyd dropped in a lay-up to push their lead to, 21-6, with just under six minutes remaining in the first half. Merket pulled up for a jumper from the left elbow, but McNeese responded on the other end with a pull up from the left elbow to cut the lead to, 23-8, with 4:05 left to play in the half.
Canadian would close the half, on a, 13-1, scoring run to take a, 36-9, lead into the locker room at halftime.
In the third quarter, Boyd was fouled on a put-back attempt by Ashtyn Parker and converted both free throws to make the score, 38-9. She followed it up with a jumphook from the right wing, as Canadian took a time out with 6:06 remaining in the third quarter.
Out of the break, Boyd scored a put-back off of her own miss, and on their next possession, she was fouled on an attempt and sank both free throws to stretch their lead to, 44-9. Gau dropped in a layup to get Littlefield on the board in the second half, but Boyd answered on the other end, with a lay-up off of the assist from Merket to extend their lead back out to, 46-11, with 4:03 remaining in the quarter. With 3:23 left to play in the quar
With 3:23 left to play in the quarter, Cruz was fouled on an attempt and sank both free throws, but Canadian answered, as Tinley Pennington knocked down a three from the top of the key and Merket followed it up with a three from the left elbow, as Littlefield called a time out to try and slow down Canadian’s momentum.
Out of the break, Dominguez picked up a steal and got it ahead in transition for a fast-break layup, but McNeese came right back and knocked down a bucket for Littlefield to make the score, 54-15, with 1:20 remaining in the third. With time winding down in the quarter, McNeese buried a deep three from the top of the key to cut the lead to, 54-18, to close out the third quarter. Canadian knocked down a
Canadian knocked down a short jumper from the left wing to open the fourth quarter, but Gau answered with back-to-back layups to trim the lead to, 56-22. McNeese was fouled on an attempt by Emily Kauk and converted both shots, trimming the lead to, 56-24.
Kauk and Gau exchanged layups and with under one minute to play in the game, Cruz was fouled on the floor, earning a one-in-one opportunity at the line. She sank both shots and followed it up with a three from the right wing to close out the game, as Littlefield fell to Canadian, 58-31.
McNeese led the team in scoring with 12 points, while Gau netted 10 points and Cruz finished with nine points in the contest.