The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity basketball team went on the road on Friday and took down the Roosevelt Eagles, 62-47.
With the win, the Wildcats improve to 1-1 in district play.
Jonathan Harris Jr. was fouled on an attempt by Blayton Soliz to open the contest; he made one-oftwo shots to put the Eagles in front, 1-0, but it was short- lived, as Sammy Saenz and Jayden Barrio answered with back- toback threes to put the Wildcats in front, 6-1. With 4:42 remaining in the opening quarter, Kobe Mireles drained a three from the left elbow for the Eagles to cut the lead to, 6-4.
Elijah Rodriguez dropped in a put-back off of his own miss, drawing an and-one foul on Harris Jr. he converted the free throw to stretch their lead to, 9-4. Barrio followed it up with a three from the right wing, off of the assist from Saenz, but Mireles answered with a drive through the middle for a lay-up, making the score, 12-6, with just under three minutes to play in the first quarter.
Jose Payan dropped in a put-back off of a miss by Saenz, but Mireles answered again with a three from the left wing, cutting the lead to, 14-9. Saenz, though would close out the first quarter with a defensive rebound, sending the outlet pass down court to Barrio for the fast-break lay-up, making the score, 16-9, as the first quarter came to a close.
Ben Castillo opened the second frame with a lay-up off of the assist from Payan, but Mireles came right back on the other end, dropping in a lay-up, drawing an and- one foul on Payan. He converted the free throw to make it a sixpoint game, 18-12. With 6:42 to play in the half, Saenz buried a three from the top of the key, off of the assist from Barrio, but Cameron Goley responded with a three from the left wing, off of an assist from Mireles, trimming the lead to, 21-15.
Payan took a charge on Goley, but the Eagles would regain possession, as Rick Perez drove the lane, dumping the ball off to Ryan Bradshaw in transition for a lay-up, cutting the lead to, 21-17, as Littlefield took a time out with 4:13 to play in the half.
Out of the break, Coronado drilled a three from the right elbow, off of an assist from Saenz, but on the other end, Mireles drew a block on Barrio, earning a trip to the line with 3:02 left to play in the half. He converted both free throws, making the score, 24-19. Rodriguez dropped in a layup off of an inbound pass from Barrio under their basket, pushing the lead back out to, 26-19.
Perez drove the middle for a lay-up, but Saenz answered wih a lay-up off of the assist from Coronado, making the score, 28-21. Rodriguez closed out the first half with a lay-up off of an assist from Barrio, making the score, 30-21, going into the locker room at halftime.
Out of the break, Saenz drove the lane, dishing a nolook pass to Rodriguez for a lay-up in transition, but Mireles answered with a floater in the lane, making the score, 32-23. Mireles stole a pass from Soliz, taking it the other way for a fast-break lay-up, but Barrio answered with a three from the left elbow, pushing their lead to double-digits, 35-25.
With 4:07 to play in the third quarter, Mireles dropped in a floater over Payan in transition, but the Wildcats would respond again, as Soliz buried a three from the right wing, off of the inbound pass from Barrio on the baseline, stretching the lead to, 38-27. Saenz found Payan down low, who then dished it to Castillo for a lay-up, making the score, 40-27, as Roosevelt took a time out to talk things over with 2:56 to play in the third quarter.
Out of the break Mireles dropped in a fast-break layup off of a Littlefield turnover and Perez followed it up with a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Payan, his second. He missed the free throw, leaving the score, 40-31. With time winding down in the quarter, Saenz drained a three from the right wing, off of an inbound pass from Coronado, but Harris Jr. would drop in a lay-up at the buzzer, to make the score, 43-33, going into the final quarter of play.
Mireles opened the fourth quarter with a drive along the left side for a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Castillo, his fourth. The free throw was no good, leaving the score, 43-35. with 6:18 left to play Perez was fouled on an attempt by Rodriguez, his fourth foul of the game. He converted both free throws to cut the lead to, 43-37, but on the other end, Saenz was fouled on an attempt by Mireles, his second of the game. Saenz converted both shots at the line, as Littlefield took a time out with six minutes to play, leading the Eagles, 45-37.
Out of the break, Barrio buried a three from the left wing, but Perez would pick up a steal for the Eagles, taking it coast-to-cost for a floater from the right side, making the score, 48-39, with just under five minutes to go in the game. Mireles dropped in a lay-up off of an inbound play for the Eagles and Goley grabbed a steal off of a lazy pass by Coronado, taking it to the hoop for a lay-up to cut the lead to five points, 48-43.
With 2:52 to play an altercation broke out after a play, resulting in the ejection of Perez for the Eagles. Barrio shot the technical free throws, splitting the attempts to make the score, 49-43. On the next play, Barrio was fouled on the floor by Mireles, his third. This time, Barrio sank both shots from the line to make it an eight-point game, 5143.
With 2:10 to play, Barrio dropped in a floater from the right side, but on the other end, Mireles was fouled on an attempt by Barrio, his second of the game. Mireles split the shots from the line, making the score, 53-44. Barrio buried a three from the left elbow and Saenz banked in a floater from the left side with under a minute to play, pushing their lead to, 58-44.
Goley drove the left side, dropping in a lay-up and drawing an and-one foul on Saenz, his third. The Eagles took a time out with 31.9 seconds to play and out of the break, Goley knocked down the free throw to make the score, 58- 47. Saenz was fouled on the floor by Haiden Jackson and converted both shots from the line to extend their lead to, 60-47, with 26.7 seconds to play.
Barrio would pick up a steal in the closing seconds, bouncing it across the lane to Castillo for a lay-up, making the score, 62-47, as the Wildcats closed out the Eagles on the road.
Barrio led the team in scoring with 19 points, to go along with seven assists, three blocks, two steals and one rebound, while Saenz tallied 18 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and two steals. Rodriguez chipped in nine points and six rebounds, while Castillo contributed seven points, eight rebounds and one steal, and Soliz added three points and six rebounds.
Coronado tallied three points, two rebounds and one steal, while Payan finished with three points, three rebounds and two assists. Trevino also added two rebounds in the contest.