The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity basketball team had their season come to an end at Lubbock- Cooper High School on Friday, as they fell to the Shallowater Mustangs, 68-42, in the Class 3A Area round of the basketball play-offs.
Cooper Lusk knocked down a jumper in the lane to open the contest and then hit Josh Grimes in transition for a lay-up to put the Mustangs up, 4-0, with 6:27 remaining in the opening quarter. Hayden Buckley dropped in a fast-break lay-up off of a turnover by Ryan Williams and Trevor Winn followed it up with a three from the left wing off of the assist from Lusk to stretch their lead to, 9-0, with 4:20 to play in the first.
Zeke Saenz knocked down a pull-up jumper from the right elbow to get the Wildcats on the board, but Buckley answered with a jumper from the free-throw line to make the score, 11-2. With 2:50 to play in the quarter, Chip Green was fouled on an attempt by Winn; he split the attempts, trimming the lead to, 113. Jeremiah Trevino took the ball to the hoop for a lay-up on the left side, and Elijah Salazar hit Trevino down low, who used a spin to get to the left side of the basket for a lay-up, cutting the lead to, 11-7, with just over a minute to play in the first.
Cooper Manning was fouled on an attempt by Trevino and sank both free throws to make the score, 13-7, and on the defensive end, Hudson Franklin took a charge on Ryan Williams to regain possession for the Mustangs. With time winding down in the quarter, Franklin dropped in a lay-up off of the assist from Lusk, drawing an and-one foul on Salazar. The free throw was no good leaving the score, 15-7. In the closing seconds of the quarter, Trevino was fouled on an attempt by Manning; he sank both shots at the line to trim the lead to, 15-9, as the first quarter came to a close.
Franklin knocked down a jump hook from the left baseline, but Trevino went coast-to-coast on the next play for a lay-up to make it a six-point game, 17-11. With 4:44 remaining in the half, Lusk dropped in a lay-up, as Littlefield called a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Buckley drained a three from the left wing and Lusk followed it up with a lay-up in transition to stretch their lead to, 24-11. Saenz knocked down a jumper from the free-throw line off of the assist from MJ Randle and with 2:18 remaining in the half, Saenz took a charge on Winn to regain possession for the Wildcats.
Grimes was fouled on a fastbreak attempt by Trevino and split the free throws, and on their next possession, Buckley was fouled on an attempt by Randle. He sank both free throws to make the score, 27-13, with 1:36 to play in the half. Ja’Den Williams was fouled on the floor by Franklin and split the free throws to trim the lead to, 27-14. Lusk split a pair of free throws with under a minute to play in the half and Manning converted a pair from the free-throw line to extend the lead to, 30-14, going into the locker room at halftime.
Trevino dropped in a lay-up off of an assist from Salazar to open the third quarter and Ryan Williams dropped in a floater from the right wing, before Winn answered with a three from the right wing for Shallowater to stretch the lead to, 33-18, with 6:27 to play in the third. Salazar grabbed an offensive rebound and got it to Saenz, who dropped in a third-chance lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Grimes. He converted the free throw to make the score, 33-21.
Shallowater dropped in a layup, but Ryan Williams answered with a three from the top of the key off of the screen from Saenz to cut the lead to, 35-24, with 5:06 to play in the third. Lusk dropped in a lay-up and followed it up with a breakaway slam dunk, prompting the Wildcats to take a time out with 4:14 to play in the third. Green was fouled on an attempt by Kasen Long; he converted both shots to trim the lead to, 39-26.
Buckley knocked down a pull up jumper from the left elbow, as Shallowater took a time out with 3:44 to play in the quarter. Out of the break, Salazar hit a cutting Trevino for a lay-up, but the Mustangs answered, as Lusk dropped in a floater from the right side to extend their lead to, 43-28. Grimes knocked down a three from the left wing off of an assist from Winn, but on the other end, Saenz got the ball inside to Trevino for a lay-up, as he drew an and- one foul on Grimes, who picked up his third of the contest. Trevino converted the free throw to make the score, 46-31, with just under two minutes to play in the third.
Shallowater closed out the third quarter on a, 4-0, scoring run to take a, 50-31, lead into the final quarter of play.
The Mustangs opened the final frame on a, 5-0, scoring run, before Ja’Den Williams was fouled on an attempt by Buckley, earning a trip to the line. He converted both free throws to trim the lead to, 55-33, with 6:21 to play in the game. Franklin dropped in a lay-up, but on the other end, Green was fouled on an attempt by Grimes, who fouled out of the contest. Green split the attempts at the line to cut the lead to, 57-34, with 4:52 to play in the contest.
After a Littlefield time out, Trevino dropped in a lay-up off of an assist from Salazar and Ryan Williams scored a lay-up in transition to cut the lead to, 57-38. With 3:19 left to play, Trevino was fouled on the floor and sank both free throws to cut the lead to, 57-40. Shallowater went on an, 8-0, scoring run, before Saenz was fouled on an attempt, earning a trip to the line. He made one-of-two shots at the line, but Shallowater answered with a three from the left wing to make the score, 68-41.
Trevino split a pair of free throws to close out the contest, as Littlefield fell to the Mustangs in the 3A Area round, 6842.
Trevino led the Wildcats in scoring with 20 points, while Saenz tallied eight points, and Ryan Williams finished with seven points. Green tallied four points, while Ja’Den Williams finished with three points.