The Littlefield Wildcat’s varsity basketball team closed out their regular season on Tuesday at home with a, 70-50, victory over the Friona Chieftains.
With the win, the Wildcats improve to 21-8 overall, 10-4 in district play heading into the postseason.
Chip Green opened the contest with a three from the left wing off of the assist from Kam McCarty, but Friona answered, as Rafael Rocha knocked down a short jumper in the lane to make the score, 3-2. Rocha bounced a pass to an open Chieftain, who knocked down a floater from the right elbow to give Friona the lead, 4-3, but it was short-lived, as Eizeah Coleman dropped in a put-back off of his own miss to regain the lead for Littlefield, 5-4.
Ryan Williams grabbed a steal and went coast-to-coast finishing with a floater in the lane, but on the next play, Rocha picked up a steal from Coleman and dished it to Damian Sanchez, who gave it back to Rocha on the 2-on-1 break for a lay-up to trim Littlefield’s lead to, 7-6. With 5:01 to play in the opening quarter, Williams buried a three from the left elbow off of the assist from McCarty and Green hit Williams with an outlet pass on their next possession, as he dished it to Coleman, who finished off the play with an easy lay-up to stretch their lead to, 12-6.
With just under four minutes to play in the first quarter, Rocha was fouled on an attempt by Williams. He made one-of-two shots from the line to make the score, 12-7. Williams grabbed an offensive rebound and dished it across the lane to Coleman for a lay-up and Jayden Barrio followed it up with a drive and dump to Williams for a lay-up, pushing their lead to, 16-7. Sammy Saenz closed out the quarter with a fast-break lay-up off of the outlet pass from Barrio, making the score, 18-7, as the first quarter came to a close.
Williams opened the second frame with a floater from the left side and McCarty followed it up with a three from the right wing off of the assist from Caden Reyes, extending their lead to, 23-7, with 6:46 to play in the first half. Brice Jeter knocked down back-to-back threes from the left side for Friona to make it a 10-point game, and Rocha followed it up with a putback in the lane to cut the lead to single-digits, 23-15.
Rocha dropped in a put-back off of a miss by Jeter, but Williams answered with a floater from the left side to push the lead back to double- digits, 27- 17. Rocha dropped in a lay-up in the paint, but Williams was fouled on the other end by Sanchez. He converted both shots at the line to keep it a 10-point game, 29-19.
With just over a minute to play, Williams picked up a steal, drive the left side for a lay-up to push their lead to, 31-19. With under a minute to go in the half, Williams dropped in a put-back off of his own miss on the baseline and Ben Castillo followed it up with a spin to the basket for a lay-up to close out the first half with Littlefield in front, 35-19.
Coleman picked up a loose ball under their own basket and dropped it in for a lay-up to begin the second half for Littlefield, as Friona took a time out with 7:23 to play in the third quarter. Out of the break, Green picked up a steal and got it ahead to Williams, who dropped in a floater from the left side to push their lead to 20 points, 39-19. With 5:40 to play in the third, Williams buried a three from the left wing off of the assist from McCarty, to put him over 1,000 points in his career, as the Wildcats took a time out.
Out of the break, Jeter knocked down a jumper from the left elbow for Friona, but on the other end, Williams grabbed an offensive rebound, tipping it to McCarty, who hit Coleman on the left side for a lay-up, stretching their lead to, 4421. Rocha dropped in a lay-up on the left side, but on the next play, McCarty drew a blocking foul on the Chieftains earning a trip to the line. He converted both shots at the line to push their lead to, 4623.
Sanchez dropped in a floater from the right side for Friona, as Littlefield took a time out with 3:43 to play in the third. Out of the break, Friona drained a three from the left wing to cut the lead to, 4628, but Littlefield would respond, as Castillo grabbed an offensive rebound and laid it up for a basket, drawing an and-one foul on Bryer Stansberry. He missed the free throw leaving the score, 4828.
Saenz hit Castillo with a long pass for a lay-up on the break, but Stanberry answered with a tip-in for Friona to make the score, 5030. With 1:38 remaining in the third quarter, Castillo dropped in a reverse lay-up off of the assist from Saenz, but Friona again answered as they knocked down a three from the left corner to trim the lead to, 52-33. Castillo drove the middle for a lay-up off of the assist from Barrio, but the Chieftains responded with a lay-up to make the score, 54-35, with under a minute to go in the quarter.
McCarty was fouled on an attempt and converted both shots at the line, stretching their lead to, 56-35. Saenz followed it up with a steal taking it the other way for a quick lay-up and with time winding down in the quarter, Saenz grabbed a steal and dished it ahead to McCarty on the fastbreak for a lay-up, making the score, 60-35, heading into the final quarter of play.
Friona opened the fourth quarter on a, 6-0, scoring run to trim the lead to, 60-41, before McCarty took a charge on Rocha with 3:47 left to play in the game. Green picked up a steal from Rocha and dropped in an easy lay-up, but Jeter answered with a put-back off of a miss by Rocha to make the score, 62-43. Coleman drove the left side for a lay-up and Green followed it up with an outlet pass to McCarty for a lay-up on the left side, extending their lead to, 6643.
Friona responded with back-toback lay-ups, but Reyes dropped in a floater from the right elbow to make the score, 68-47. With under a minute to go, McCarty hit Coleman on the two-on-one break for a lay-up, but Jeter answered with a three from the elbow, as Littlefield went on to defeat Friona, 70-50.
Williams led the Wildcats in scoring with 24 points, to go along with eight rebounds, three steals and one assist. Joining him in double- figures scoring were McCarty, who tallied 13 points, four assists, three rebounds, two steals and two blocks, while Coleman chipped in 12 points and five rebounds, and Castillo, who contributed 10 points, two rebounds and two steals.
Green netted five points, six rebounds, three steals and one assist, while Saenz added four points, two assists, two steals and one rebound, and Reyes finished with two points, five rebounds and one assist in the contest.
The Wildcats will take on Bushland on Tuesday at Dimmitt High School in the Class 3A Bidistrict round of the play-offs.
Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.