The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity basketball team fell on the road to the Slaton Tigers on Friday night, 63-56, in their second meeting of district play.
With the loss, the Wildcats fall to 16-11 overall, 6-4 in district play.
Sammy Saenz opened the contest with a three from the right elbow off of the assist from Elijah Rodriguez, and the Wildcats followed it up with a jumper in the lane to make the score, 5-0, with 6:14 to play in the opening quarter. Braeshon Kennard dropped in a lay-up, drawing an and- one foul on Rodriguez. He converted the free throw to trim the lead to, 5-3.
Saenz launched an outlet pass down court to Nate Castaneda, who dropped in a lay-up, drawing an andone foul on Jacob Lopez, his second of the game. Castaneda missed the free throw, making the score, 73, with 5:11 remaining in the opening quarter. Z’Qedrian Whaley lobbed a pass into Daniel Payne, who dropped it in for a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Andrew Davis. He converted the free throw to slice the lead to one point, 7-6.
Payne kept it going with a lay-up, off of an assist from Cash Kennard, putting the Tigers in front, 8-7, with just over four minutes remaining in the quarter. Braeshon Kennard hit Payne with an outlet pass for a fast-break lay-up, as Littlefield took a time out trailing, 10-7, with 3:40 to play in the quarter. Out of the break, Saenz hit Jayden Barrio for a lay-up, but Billy Ray Harris answered with a put-back off of a miss by Braeshon Kennard, making the score, 12-9, with just over two minutes to play in the quarter.
Saenz drove the lane, kicking it out to Barrio, who buried a three from the left wing to tie the game, 12-12, and on their next possession, Saenz lobbed a pass to Rodriguez for a lay-up, putting the Wildcats back in front, 14-12. Slaton took a time out with 59.16 seconds to play in the quarter, and out of the break, Barrio finished with a lay-up through contact, pushing their lead to, 16-12, as the first quarter came to a close.
Saenz opened the second frame with a three from the left elbow, off of an assist from Blayton Soliz, but on the other end, Payne was fouled on an attempt by Saenz. He sank both shots at the line, trimming the lead to, 19-14. Harris dropped in back-to-back buckets for Slaton to make it a one-point Littlefield lead, 19-18, with just over six minutes to play in the half.
Littlefield took a time out with 5:53 to play in the half, and out of the break, Barrio pulled up from the right elbow for a jumper off of the screen from Rodriguez, pushing their lead back out to, 21-18. Harris answered with a lay-up for Slaton, and on their next possession, Payne was fouled on the floor by Barrio, earning a trip to the line. He sank both free throws and Braeshon Kennard followed it up with a put-back off of his own miss to put Slaton in front, 24-21.
Slaton would go on to close out the first half on an, 11-2, scoring run, taking a, 35-23, lead into the locker room at halftime.
Whaley dropped in a putback to open the second half, and he followed it up with a steal, which led to a fast-break lay-up, stretching their lead to, 39-23. Saenz buried a three from the left elbow, off of an assist from Castaneda, but on the other end, Harris responded with a lay-up to make the score, 41-26.
Harris split a pair of free throws, after being foul by Saenz, who picked up his third foul of the game, but Davis answered with a layup on the other end, making the score, 42-28,with just under five minutes to play in the third quarter. Rodriguez drew a shooting foul on Payne and split the attempts at the line to make the score, 42-29.
After a time out, Castaneda banked in a jumper in the lane, off of the assist from Barrio and Rodriguez followed it up with a steal, dishing it to Barrio, who found Castaneda in transition for a lay-up, making the score, 42-33, with 2:18 to play in the third. Davis kept it going with a lay-up in transition and Rodriguez followed it up with a drive through the middle for a lay-up, as Slaton took a time out with their lead sliced to, 42-37, with 1:22 remaining in the quarter.
Out of the break, Ashton Garcia knocked down a jumper from the left elbow off of an assist from Braeshon Kennard and Harris closed out the quarter with a lay-up, as Slaton took a, 46-37, lead into the final quarter of play.
Saenz drove the left side for a lay-up off of the inbound pass from Barrio to open the fourth quarter, but on the other end, Cash Kennard split a pair of free throws, after Jose Payan picked up his third foul of the game. Whaley followed it up with a dump to Braeshon Kennard for a lay-up, off of the steal from Harris, pushing their lead back to double-digits, 49-39.
Castaneda dropped in a floater in the lane off of the assist from Saenz, but on the other end, Payne was fouled on an attempt by Saenz, who picked up his fourth foul of the game. He converted both shots at the line to make the score, 51-41. With 5: 36 remaining, Saenz grabbed an offensive rebound and got it to Davis for a lay-up, and on the next play, a block by Barrio on Braeshon Kennard was picked up by Castaneda, who hit Rodriguez on the break for a fast-break layup, trimming the lead to, 5145.
Payne hit Lopez on a back-door cut for a lay-up, and Lopez followed it up with a three from the right wing, before Barrio dropped in a lay-up to end the run, making the score, 56-47. Ben Castillo dropped in a floater in the lane, but Braeshon Kennard answered with a lay-up, pushing their lead to, 58-49.
Saenz drove the middle for a lay-up, but on the other end, Braeshon Kennard went up and under for a layup, drawing an and-one foul on Davis. He converted the free throw to make the score, 61-51, with 1:42 to play. Barrio answered with a scoop lay-up from the left side, as Littlefield took a time out with 1:08 to play in the game. Out of the break, Whaley knocked down a pair of free throws, after being fouled on an attempt by Castaneda, but with time winding down, Castaneda buried a three from the top of the key, off of an assist from Barrio, as Littlefield fell to Slaton, 63-56.
The Wildcats were led by Barrio, who netted 17 points, while Saenz joined him in double-figures scoring with 13 points, and Castaneda chipped in 11 points. Rodriguez tallied seven points, while Davis added six points and Castillo finished with two points in the contest.
The Wildcats hosted Friona on Tuesday. Results were not available at press time. They will continue their season on Friday with a road game against Dimmitt.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.