The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity basketball team had their season come to an end on Tuesday night in heartbreaking fashion as they lost their 3A Bi-district round match-up to the Bushland Falcons, 41-39, in Dimmitt.
With the loss, the Wildcats finish the season with a mark of 21-9 overall.
Jenner King dropped in a lay-up off of the tip-out to him on the opening tip-off to give the Falcons a, 2-0, lead, but Chip green answered with a steal, taking it the other way on the fast-break for a lay-up to tie the game, 2-2. Kam McCarty knocked down a jumper from the right elbow off of the assist from Ryan Williams to put the Wildcats in front, 4-2, and McCarty followed it up with a drive through the middle for a lay-up to stretch the lead to, 6-2.
Bushland would respond, as King picked up a steal and went the other way for a fast-break lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on McCarty. He converted the free throw to cut the lead to, 6-5, with 4:30 left to play in the opening quarter. Taggert Thrash followed it up with a jumper in the lane to put the Falcons in front, 7-6, but the Wildcats answered quickly, as Williams drove the left side for a lay-up, making the score, 8-7.
Thrash knocked down a three from the right elbow for Bushland, but Jayden Barrio answered with a putback off of a miss by Williams to tie the game, 10-10, with 2:21 left to play in the quarter. King dropped in a fastbreak lay-up off of a turnover by Williams and J Mariscal took a charge on McCarty, his second foul. With time winding down in the quarter, Williams picked up a steal and took it to the hoop faking a pass to Ben Castillo, before dropping in a floater to tie the game, 12-12, as the first quarter came to a close.
Castillo grabbed an offensive rebound to open the second frame and dished it to Green, who quickly passed it to Barrio on the elbow, who buried the three to put the Wildcats in front, 15-12. Thrash used a euro-step to get to the basket for a lay-up on the other end and Holt Humphrey followed it up with a lay-up in transition to put the Falcons back in front, 1615, with just over six minutes to play in the half.
Jose Payan hit Barrio on a break, as he took it to the hoop for a lay-up to regain the lead for Littlefield, but the back-and-forth game continued, as Bushland answered with a lay-up by King, off of the assist from Tripp Purcell. Castillo was called for an illegal screen with 4:26 to play in the half, and out of the break, Purcell was fouled on an attempt, earning a trip to the foul line. He made one-of-two free throws to make it a one-possession game, 19-17.
With 2:37 to play, Williams dished the ball down low to Sammy Saenz, who dropped in a lay-up to tie the game, 19-19, and with time winding down in the half, Barrio was fouled on a put-back attempt by Purcell. He converted both attempts at the line to give the Wildcats a two-point lead, 21-19, going into the locker room at halftime.
Thrash knocked down a jumper from the left elbow to open the second half and he followed it up with a three from the right elbow to put the Falcons in front, 24-21. Williams answered with a jumper from the left wing to cut the lead to one point, but the Falcons responded, as King buried a three from the left elbow, pushing their lead to, 27-23, with just under five minutes to go in the third quarter.
Thrash used a spin to get to the basket for a lay-up on the left side, as Littlefield took a time out to talk things over with 4:32 remaining in the third. Bushland took a time out with 3:31 remaining in the third to prevent a jumpball, and out of the break, King dropped in a lay-up on the inbound play under the basket, making the score, 31-23.
The Falcons run continued, as Purcell hit King on a backdoor cut for a lay-up to make it a double-digit lead, 33-23. Green answered with a steal, dishing it ahead to McCarty for a fastbreak lay-up, as he drew an and-one foul on Purcell. He converted the free throw to cut the lead to, 33-26. King drove the left side for a lay-up, but with McCarty drew a blocking foul on Thrash. He converted both free throws to trim the lead to, 35-28, going into the final quarter of play.
McCarty hit Green for a three from the left wing to make it a four-point game, 35-31, with 7:05 to play in the final quarter. Humphrey answered with a lay-up, making the score, 37-31, as Littlefield took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Green buried a three from the top of the key off of the assist from Williams to make it a three-point game, 37-34.
The Wildcats picked up a steal, getting it ahead to Barrio, who dished it to McCarty on the fast-break for a lay-up, slicing the lead to one point, 37-36. Littlefield took a time out with 4:19 to play in the game. With 2:06 to play in the game, Thrash scored a fastbreak lay-up off of a turnover by McCarty, but on the other end, Williams was fouled on an attempt by Humphrey. He made the first shot and missed the second, but was able to get the offensive rebound and putback to tie the game, 39-39.
Bushland took a time out with 12.02 seconds remaining and out of the break, Williams blocked a shot under the basket, but the loose ball was scooped up by Mariscal, who put it back up for a lay-up as time expired giving Bushland the win, 41-39.
The Wildcats were led by McCarty, who tallied 11 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Barrio chipped in nine points and 11 rebounds, while Williams tallied nine points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal. Green contributed six points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block, while Coleman added two points, five rebounds and two steals and Saenz finished with two points in the contest.