The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity basketball team cruised past the Muleshoe Mules on Friday, 77-31, picking up their first district victory of the season.
With the win, the Wildcats improve to 12-6 overall, 1-2 in district play.
Jayden Barrio hit a cutting Chip Green for a lay-up to open the contest and Kam McCarty followed it up with a pass to Ryan Williams, who then hit Barrio for a lay-up on the fast-break, making the score, 40. Muleshoe was called for a threesecond violation in the lane and the Wildcats capitalized on the turnover, as Green knocked down a three from the top of the key, forcing Muleshoe to take a time out with 4:57 to play in the opening quarter, trailing, 7-0.
Out of the break, Muleshoe knocked down a three from the left elbow and Brayton Butler followed it up with a fade-away from the right elbow to cut the lead to, 7-5. Green answered with a three from the right elbow off of the assist from McCarty, but the Mules responded, as Ethan Whitworth dropped in a put-back off of a miss by Yahir Quezada, making the score, 10-7.
Barrio drove the lane kicking it out to Williams on the right wing, who drained the three to push the lead to, 13-7, with 2:56 remaining in the first quarter. Williams dished an outlet pass down court to Green, who hit Barrio for a lay-up on the fast-break and on their next possession, Nate Castaneda hit McCarty in transition for a lay-up to stretch the lead to, 19-7.
With 1:24 to play in the quarter, Whitworth dropped in a lay-up off of the assist from Quezada, but McCarty answered with a three from the right elbow and Green followed it up with a three from the top of the key, off of the assist from Jose Payan, making the score, 25-9. Butler knocked down a three from the right wing for Muleshoe, but with time winding down in the quarter, Williams picked up a steal in their own end and got it to Green for an easy lay-up, as Littlefield closed out the first quarter, leading Muleshoe, 27-12.
The Mules took a time out to begin the second frame, and out of break, McCarty knocked down a three from the right elbow to push their lead to, 30-12. Butler answered with a three from the left wing, and with 3:05 left to play in the first half, Barrio drove the lane, kicking it out to McCarty, who buried a three from the left elbow, making the score, 3315.
Quezada dropped in a lay-up for the Mules and Butler followed it up with a jumper in the lane, but Williams answered with a three from the right elbow off of the assist from McCarty to make the score, 36-19, with 1:14 left to play in the half. Aaron Morales was fouled on an attempt by Caden Reyes, his second. He converted both free throws to trim the lead to, 36-21. With under a minute to go in the half, Williams knocked down a step-back three from the left elbow for Littlefield, but Butler, on the other end, knocked down a jumper, drawing an and-one foul on Castaneda. He converted the free throw, as Littlefield took a, 39-24, lead into the locker room at halftime.
Williams hit Green on a back door cut for a lay-up to open the second half and Barrio followed it up with a pass to Castaneda for a lay-up, pushing their lead to, 43- 24. McCarty drove the lane kicking it out to Green on the left wing, who buried the three to make the score, 46-24, with 6:49 to play in the third quarter.
On their next possession, Williams dished the outlet pass down court to Barrio, who finished the transition play with a lay-up, as the Mules took a time out trailing, 4824, with 4:57 to play in the quarter. Out of the break, Williams went back door with a pass to Barrio for a layup, but Muleshoe answered, as Morales hit Quezada for a lay-up on the other end, making the score, 50-26.
McCarty drained a three from the top of the key, and Barrio knocked down a put-back off of a miss by McCarty, stretching the lead to, 5526, with 3:24 left to play in the quarter. With under three minutes remaining in the quarter, Williams sank another three from the right wing, off of the assist from McCarty and Green followed it up with a transition lay-up, pushing the lead to, 6026. With time winding down in the frame, Green was fouled on a putback attempt by Quezada. He split the attempts at the line to make the score, 61-26. in the closing seconds of the quarter, Green picked up a steal and hit Ben Castillo, who knocked down a jumper from the left elbow to close out the third quarter with Littlefield up big, 63-26.
Williams opened the fourth quarter with a lob to McCarty, who finished at the rim with a lay-up, and Barrio scored a lay-up in transition off of the assist from McCarty to stretch their lead to, 67-26. The Wildcats kept it going offensively, as McCarty hit Barrio with a bounce pass in transition for a lay-up, making the score, 69-26, with 6:50 to play in the game.
Barrio was fouled on an attempt by Whitworth, his second. He converted one-of-two shots from the line, and on the other end, Whitworth was fouled on an attempt by Castaneda, his fourth. He split the attempts at the line, making the score, 70-27. With under three minutes to play, Whitworth was fouled again by Castaneda, who fouled out of the contest. He made one-of-two shots from the line, trimming the lead to, 70-28.
Castillo hit McCarty in transition, who finished with a two-hand slam at the rim, extending their lead to, 72-28. Morales dropped in a lay-up in transition, but Eizeah Coleman buried a three from the left elbow off of the assist from McCarty, making the score, 75-30. With under a minute to play, Morales split a pair of free throws and in the closing seconds, McCarty put the exclamation point on the contest with a nasty one-handed slam to close out the game, as Littlefield took the contest, 77-31.
The Wildcats were led in scoring by McCarty, who finished with 22 points, as one-of-four players in double-figures for Littlefield. Green netted 21 points, while Barrio contributed 15 points and Williams added 12 points. Coleman added three points and Castaneda and Castillo each finished with two points in the contest.
The Wildcats hosted Roosevelt on Tuesday. Results were not available at press time. They will wrap up the first half of district play at Dimmitt on Friday.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.