The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity basketball team lost a heartbreaker in the Class 3AArea round of the basketball play-offs on Tuesday, falling to Childress, 34-29, at Rip Griffin Center on the campus of LCU.
With the loss, the Wildcats finish the season with a mark of 16-10 overall on the season.
Childress opened the fourth quarter on a, 9-0 scoring run, before Littlefield took a time out with 3:53 remainingin the opening quarter. Out of the break, senior point guard, Jeremiah Salazar, knocked down a jumper and Brown followed it up with a lay-up to close out the fourth quarter with the Bobcats out in front, 9-4.
Brown spuun to the basket for a lay-up to open the second quarter, and Salazar drove to the basket and finished with a scoop layup to slice the lead to one point, 9-8. Childress answred with a threepointer, but junior guard, Jordan Trevino, came right back with a three of his own and senior forward, Tyree Jones, followed it up with a put-back to give Littlefield their first lead of the game, 13-12.
Collin Bishop dropped in a putback for Childress, but Jones answered with a put-back off of his own miss to put the Wildcats up, 15-14, heading into the locker room at halftime.
Devron Sims was called for a charge to open the second half, but Aiden Allen drained a three from the corner to put the Bobcats back in front, 17-15. Salazar was fouled on an attempt by Allen, earning a trip to the line. He made the first shot and missed the second, but a put-back attempt by Jones was tipped in by Brown to make the score, 18-17, in favor of the Wildcats.
Josh Tucker dropped in a left handed lay-up to give the Bobcats a one-point advantage, 19-18, but Jones answered with a putback off of a miss by Trevino to make the score, 20-19. Childress scored back-to-back buckets and with 1:30 left to play in the third quarter, Jones was called for an offensive foul, turning the ball over to Childress, as the third quarter came to a close.
Allen buried a three to open the fourth quarter for Childress, but Trevino answered with a lay-up off of the outlet pass from Jones and followed it up with a three to make it a one-point Bobcat lead, 26-25. Lane Foster responded with a three for Childress, as the Bobcats took a time out with 4:56 remaining.
Jones split a double team and finished at the basket with a finger roll lay-up to make it a onepossession game for Littlefield and he followed it up with a put-back slam off of a miss by Brown to tie the game, 29-29.
Childress went three-for-four over their next two possessions to take a, 32-29 lead and they called a time out with 48 seconds to play in the quarter. Prior to the inbound play Allen flopped, causing a foul on Salinas, sending Allen to the line for free throws. He converted both shots at the line, as Childress took down Littlefield, 34-29.
Jones led the Wildcats in scoring with 10 points, while Trevino tallied eight points and Brown finished with six points. Salazar added five points in the contest.