The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity basketball team cruised past the Denver City Mustangs on Tuesday, 73-25, in their first meeting of district play.
With the win, the Wildcats improve to 21-3 overall, 4-1 in district play.
Ryan Williams opened the contest with a lay-up off of an assist from Chip Green. Denver City took a time out with 6:09 to play in the opening quarter, and out of the break, Green buried a three from the left wing off of an assist from Ryan Williams to push their lead to, 5-0. The Wildcats kept the rally going, as Ryan Williams hit Green in transition for a lay-up and Omar Martinez followed it up with a fastbreak lay-up off of the outlet pass from Green, stretching their lead to, 9-0, with three minutes left to play in the quarter.
Jeremiah Trevino dropped in a lay-up off of an assist from Ryan Williams and he followed it up with an outlet pass to Kam McCarty, who finished off the fast-break with a lay-up to close out the first quarter with the Wildcats in control, 13-0.
McCarty grabbed his own rebound and was fouled on the putback attempt by Chasen Buckle to open the second frame. He made one-of-two shots from the line and MJ Randle followed it up with a steal, taking it to the hoop for a fast-break lay-up, drawing an andone foul on Hudson Hemmeline, his third. Randle missed the free throw, leaving the score, 16-0, with 5:58 left to play in the first half.
With 4:20 left to play in the half, McCarty delivered a block on the defensive end, but was hit with a techincal foul after the play, putting Buckle on the line for free throws. He made one-of-two shots from the line to get the Mustangs on the board, trailing, 16-1. Jayden Barrio responded with back-toback threes from the right side, off of assists from Randle, extending their lead to, 22-1.
Ja’Den Williams hit Martinez in transition for a lay-up and Barrio followed it up with a lay-up in transition off of an assist from Ja’Den Williams, pushing their lead to, 261. With under a minute to play in the half, Christian Montes knocked down a three form the left elbow off of an assist from Jonathan Martinez, but Barrio answered with a three from the right elbow and Barrio closed out the first half with a fast-break lay-up off of the assist from Martinez, stretching the lead to, 31-4, going into the locker room at halftime.
Trevino dropped in a lay-up off of the inbound pass from Ryan Williams on the baseline to open the second half, and Martinez followed it up with a fast-break layup off of the assist from Green, making the score, 35-4. Hemmeline and Buckle knocked down backto- back threes from the left side for Denver City, but Martinez answered with a put-back off of a miss by Green, as Denver City took a time out with 5:01 to play in the third quarter, trailing, 37-10.
Out of the break, McCarty drove the left side of the basket for a layup and Green followed it up with a lay-up in transition to make the score, 41-10, with 2:44 left to play in the third. Buckle knocked down a three from the left elbow off of the assist from Hemmeline, as the Mustangs took another time out with 2:25 to play in the quarter.
Out of the break, Barrio dropped in a put-back off of the miss by Trevino, but Hemmeline answered with a three from the left wing off of the assist from Montes, trimming the lead to, 43-16. With 1:27 remaining in the quarter, Ja’Den Williams dropped in a lay-up from the left side off of an assist from Trevino and McCarty followed it up with a lay-up on the left side, pushing their lead to, 47- 16. Trevino closed out the third quarter with a lay-up off of an assist from Ja’Den Williams, making the score, 49-16, going into the final quarter of play.
Sir Pratt dropped in a put-back off of a miss by Ryan William, and on the next play, Pratt was fouled on an attempt by Jayden Huertas. He missed both free throws, but Green got the offensive rebound and passed it to Martinez for the lay-up, making the score, 53-16. Buckle knocked down a three from the right elbow for Denver City, but Green answered with a three from the right elbow for the Wildcats, making the score, 56-19.
Ryan Williams dropped in a floater in the lane off of the assist from Randle and Green followed it up with back-to-back threes off of assists from Randle to stretch their lead to, 64-19, with 4:44 to play in the game. McCarty grabbed a steal and got it ahead to Martinez on the fast-break for a lay-up, but Denver City responded with a three to cut the lead to, 66-22, with 3:38 left to play.
Martinez knocked down a deep three from the right elbow, as Littlefield called a time out to make the score, 69-22, with 3:22 left in the game. Out of the break, Ja’Den Williams dropped in a lay-up off of the inbound pass from Green on the baseline, but Hemmeline answered with a three from the left elbow to make the score, 71-25. Trevino closed out the game with a spin to the basket for a lay-up, as Littlefield took down the Mus-tangs, 73-25, in their first meeting of district play.
The Wildcats were led by Green, who netted 16 points, to go along with seven rebounds, five assists and one steal. He was joined in double-figures scoring by Barrio, who tallied 15 points, four rebounds and one steal, and Martinez, who contributed 15 points, four steals, three rebounds and one assist.
McCarty chipped in seven points, two steals, two blocks, one rebound and one assist, while Ryan Williams tallied six points, six rebounds and four assists, and Trevino contributed six points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals. Ja’Den Williams tallied four points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals, while Randle added two points, six assists, three rebounds and three steals, and Pratt finished with two points, three rebounds and one block.
The Wildcats were at Dimmitt on Friday to take on the Bobcats. Results were not available at press time. They have a showdown on Tuesday at home against Brownfield.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.