The Olton Mustangs’ varsity basketball team improved to 2-0 in tournament play at the Whitharral Invitational on Friday, as they took down Crosbyton, 7847.
Sebastian Sparkman got the Mustangs going with a pass through traffic to Brady Azam, who finished the play with a lay-up for the game’s first points. Matias Flores lobbed an inbound pass up to Azam in the lane, who finished the play with a lay-up, pushing their lead to, 4- 0, and Santiago Jimenez kept it going with a three from the left elbow, stretching the lead to, 7-0, with just under six minutes to play in the opening quarter.
Sparkman grabbed a steal in their own end, passing it to Flores, who found Zayden Falcon for a lay-up, extending their lead to, 9-0. Crosbyton would answer with a lay-up, but on the other end, Sparkman drove the lane, dumping the ball off to Azam, who was fouled on an attempt by Aiden Luna. Azam split the attempts at the line, making the score, 10-2, with 3:48 to play in the quarter.
Shawn Fira dropped in a lay- up in transition for Crosbyton, but Olton’s Alex Green was fouled on a three- point attempt by Aguilar with 3:28 left to play in the quarter. He converted all three attempts at the line, pushing their lead to, 13-4. Michael Garcia and Jimenez exchanged threes and on the next play, Luna was fouled on an attempt by Sparkman, earning a trip to the line. He made one- of- two shots from the line, trimming the lead to, 16-8.
With two minutes to play in the quarter, Sparkman picked up a steal, dishing it ahead to Flores, who took it to the hoop for a lay-up, making the score, 18-8. Aguilar responded with a quick lay-up for the Chieftains, but the Mustangs wasted no time getting back on offense, as Sparkman sent an outlet pass to Flores, who used a eurostep to get to the bucket for a lay-up, stretching their lead to, 20-10.
Salazar hit Aguilar for a lay-up and with time winding down in the quarter, Aguilar found Salazar in transition for a lay-up, making the score, 20-14, as the first quarter came to a close.
Sparkman drove the lane and kicked it across to Jimenez for a lay-up to open the second quarter for Olton, but Crosbyton would answer, as Austin Almarez dropped in a lay-up, off of the assist from Aguilar, making the score, 22-16. Flores took a charge on Aguilar with 6:12 to play in the half, and on the other end, Sparkman was fouled on an attempt by Luna, his second of the game. Sparkman converted both shots at the line to push their lead back out to 24-16.
Crosbyton took a time out to prevent a turnover with 5:27 to play in the half, and out of the break, Azam picked up a steal, taking it down court on the fastbreak for a lay-up to push the lead back out to doubledigits, 26-16. Green was fouled on an attempt by Michael Garcia, his second of the game. Green split the attempts at the line, stretching the lead to, 27-16.
With under three minutes to play in the half, Sparkman grabbed a steal and went coast-to-coast for a lay-up, but the Chieftains answered, as Fira dropped in a put-back off of a miss by Garcia, drawing an andone foul on Chris Cabrera. He missed the free throw, leaving the score, 31-18. Sparkman knocked down a jumper in the lane, off of an assist from Rylan Holmes, but Garcia responded with a jumper over Holmes from the right side, making the score, 33-20.
Cabrera dropped in a layup for the Mustangs, but Aguilar answered with a jumper from the right elbow and Almarez took a charge on Holmes to regain possession for Crosbyton with 1:17 left to play in the half. With under a minute to play, Falcon buried a three from the left elbow, but on their next possession, Sparkman was called for a charge, his second foul of the game.
Almarez would close out the first half with a lay-up off of the assist from Aguilar, as Olton took a, 3824, lead into the locker room at halftime.
Sparkman opened the second half with a floater in the lane, off of an assist from Falcon, but Fira answered with a three from the right elbow to make the score, 40- 27. Manny Carrasco drained a three for the Mustangs, but Fira answered again with a three from the right elbow to cut the lead to, 43- 30. Sparkman lobbed a pass to Jimenez for a lay-up and Azam followed it up with a steal, finishing the play with a fast-break lay-up, stretching their lead back out to, 47-30.
With 5:11 left to play in the third quarter, Michael Garcia was fouled on an attempt by Jimenez. He made one-of-two shots at the line, but Sparkman answered with a pull- up jumper in the lane and followed it up with a three from the right elbow, extending the lead back out to, 52-31, with 3:40 to play in the quarter.
Crosbyton took a time out, and out of the break, Michael Garcia and Sparkman exchanged threes, as Olton took a time out with 2:36 to play, leaving the Chieftains, 55-34. Out of the break, Sparkman knocked down a pull-up jumper from the free-throw line and he followed it up with a steal from Michael Garcia in their own end, dishing it to Green for a layup, making the score, 59-34.
With under a minute to go in the third, Olton picked up a steal and Azam finished the play with a lay-up, making the score, 61-34. Garcia knocked down a jumper in the lane off of the assist from Michael Garcia, but Carrasco closed out the third quarter with a put-back off of a miss by Azam, making the score, 63-36, going into the final quarter of play.
Cabrera opened the fourth quarter with a lay-up off of the inbound pass from Green under the basket, but Michael Garcia answered with a lay-up and Aguilar took a charge on Azam to regain possession for the Chieftains. Crosbyton could not capitalize on the extra possession, as Green took a charge on Almarez with 5:34 to play in the game.
Flores drove the right side for a lay-up, off of the assist from Green and he followed it up with a fastbreak lay- up off of a Crosbyton turnover, making the score, 69- 38. Fira knocked down a three from the right elbow, but Nathan Craig answered on the other end with a three from the left elbow, off of an assist from Jimenez, making the score, 72-41.
Carrasco picked up a steal, taking it the other way for a fast-break lay-up, as Crosbyton took a time out with 3:02 left to play. Out of the break, Fira and Almarez scored back-toback buckets for the Chieftains, but Holmes would answer with a jumper from the right elbow to make the score, 76-45.
Michael Garcia knocked down a jumper in the lane for Crosbyton, but Holmes closed out the game with a lay-up to make the score, 78-47.
The Mustangs were led in scoring by Sparkman, who netted 21 points, and he as joined in double-figures scoring by Jimenez, who tallied 10 points.
Azam chipped in nine points, while Flores contributed eight points, and Carrasco and Falcon each added seven points. Green chipped in five points, while Holmes and Cabrera each added four points and Craig finished with three points.