The Olton Mustang’s varsity basketball team had their magical run come to an end on Friday at the Class 2A Regional Tourament in Levelland, as they fell to the Plains Cowboys, 53-46, at the Texan Dome.
With the loss, the Mustangs end the season with a mark of 22-12 overall, 12-3 in district play.
Olton Junior, Alan Flores, was fouled on a put-back attempt by Alan Gallegos to open the contest for the Mustangs. He made one-of-two shots from the line to give the Mustangs a, 1-0, lead, but Tyler Vargas answered on the other end for Plains with a no-look pass across the lane to Gavin Broome for a lay-up, putting the Cowboys up, 2-1.
With just over five minutes remaining in the opening quarter, senior forward, Nate Urbina, dropped in a lay-up off of an assist from sophomore guard, Sebastian Sparkman, as Olton regained the lead, but it was shortlived, as Gallegos dropped in a lay-up for the Cowboys, drawing an and-one foul on Vasquez. He converted the free throw, stretching the Cowboys’ lead to, 5-3, with 4:36 left to play in the first quarter.
Tyler Vargas and Broome dropped in back-to-back lay-ups for Plains, but with just under three minutes to play in the quarter, freshman post, Johnathan Cooper, was fouled on a put-back attempt by Desmond Bunton earning a trip to the line. He converted both free throws, trimming the lead to, 9-5. Tyler Vargas answered with a three from the right elbow on the other end, but the Mustangs came right back down the floor, as Urbina knocked down a pull-up jumper from the left elbow off of the assist from Vasquez and Sparkman followed it up, hitting Cooper for a lay-up to cut the lead to, 12-9, with 1:22 to play in the first quarter.
With under a minute to go in the quarter, Tyler Vargas was fouled on an attempt by Sparkamn and split the attempts at the line, making the score, 13-9. With time winding down in the quarter, Cooper pulled up and buried a three from the right elbow off of an assist from Sparkman to make it a one-point Plains lead, 13-12, as the first quarter came to a close.
Urbina knocked down a short jumper from the right side off of an assist from Cooper to open the second frame, but on the other end, Broome was fouled on an attempt by Cooper, earning a trip to the line. He made the first shot, but missed the second, however, Gallegos was there for the offensive rebound and dropped in a layup to put Plains back in front, 1614, with 6:50 to play in thehalf.
Senior guard, Jimmy Munoz drove in for a lay-up to knot the game, 16-16, but it would not be tied for long, as Plains answered with a lay-up by Gallegos, off of the assist from Tyler Vargas, making the score, 18-16, with 5:32 to play in the half. Olton took a 30second time out with 5:26 to play in the half, and out of the break, Sparkman drove the lane, dumping the ball off to Urbina for a layup, as he drew an and-one foul on Tyler Vargas. He missed the free throw leaving the score tied, 1818.
Tyler Vargas took a charge on Munoz and the Cowboys capitalized on the turnover, as Broome banked in a runner from the right side, making the score, 20-18, with 4:10 to plain in the second quarter. Gallegos used a pump fake to drop in a lay-up over junior forward, Wyatt Nelson and Tyler Vargas followed it up with a lay-up in the lane, stretching their lead to, 2418, with 2:47 left to play in the half. Gallegos kept the run going with a jump-hook from the left side, but Munoz was able to drive in for a lay-up to end the scoring drought for the Mustangs, trimming the lead to, 26-20, with under a minute to go in the half.
With time winding down in the half, Vasquez dropped in a putback off of a miss by Urbina to beat the buzzer, making the score, 26-22, going into the locker room at halftime.
Tyler Vargas opened the second half with a floater in the lane, but Urbina answered with a floater off the glass from the right sdie to make the score, 28-24. Plains took a time out to prevent a turnover with 6:40 to play in the third quarter, and out of the break, Munoz drove the left side for a lay-up, cutting the lead to, 28-26.
Broome responded with a layup for the Cowboys, but Olton answered again, as Sparkman dropped in a floater in the lane, off of a turnover by Plains, making the score, 30-28, with 5:19 to play in the quarter. Tyler Vargas hit Broome in transition for a lay-up and Tyler Vargas followed it up with a fade-away from the right wing, stretching the Cowboy’s lead out to, 34-28, with 3:23 left to play in the third.
Olton took a time out with 3:21 to play in the quarter, and out of the break, Urbina was fouled on a put-back attempt by Gallegos, his third. Urbina sank both free throws to make it a four-point game, but on the other end, Tyler Vargas spun into the lane and dropped ina floater to make the score, 36-30, with 2:31 left to play in the third. With under two minutes to go in the quarter, Broome was fouled on an attempt by junior guard, Raymond Ramirez and made both shots at the line to make it an eight-point game, 38-30.
Olton would not go down without a fight, as Urbina dropped in a put-back off of a miss by Vasquez and Munoz followed it up with a steal in their own end, getting the ball to Sparkman, who got it ahead to Vasquez, who was fouled on an attempt by Junior Enriquez. Vasquez sank both free throws to cut the lead to four points, 38-34. Vasuez took a charge on Gallegos, who picked up his fourth foul with 10.2 seconds to go in the quarter and at the buzzer, Ramirez knocked down a jumper from the left wing to cut the lead to, 38-36, going into the final quarter of play.
Braylon Ward opened the fourth quarter with a floater from the right wing for Plains and Broome took a charge on Vasquez with 7:05 remaining in the game. With 6:24 to play, Tyler Vargas drew a blocking foul on Vasquez, who picked up his fourth foul of the game. He made the first shot, but missed the second, however Broome was there for the offensive rebound, which led to a floater from the right wing for the Cowboys, pushing their lead back out to, 43-36.
With just over six minutes to play in the game, Urbina was fouled on an attempt by Fermin Luna; he converted both shots at the line, trimming the lead to, 43-38. Plains fortunes continued on offense, as Ward buried a three from the right elbow, but the Mustangs fired right back, as Urbina drove to the basket, kicking the ball back out to Vasquez on the right elbow, who drained the three to make the score, 46-41.
Plains took a time out with 4:44 to play in the game, and out of the break, Urbina dropped in a floater in transition off of the assist from Sparkman, making the score, 4643, with just over four mnutes to play in the contest. Ward dropped in a put-back for Plains and Olton took a time out with 1:41 to play in the game.
Out of the break, Vasquez was fouled on an attempt by Gallegos, who fouled out of the contest for the Cowboys. Vasquez split the attempts at the line to make it a four-point game, 48-44, as Plains used a time out with 43.6 seconds remaining. Out of the break, Olton was forced to intentionally foul and Plains went five-of-six from the line during the final stretch taking the contest, 53-46.
The Mustangs were led by Urbina, who tallied 18 points, while Vasquez chipped in nine points and Cooper contributed seven points. Munoz tallied six points, while Sparkman added four points and Ramirez finished with two points in the contest.