The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity basketball team fell at home to the Denver City Mustangs, 58-55, at Wildcat Gym.
With the loss, the Wildcats fall to 02 overall on the year.
Ryan Williams hit Kam McCarty for a lay-up on the right side to open the contest and McCarty followed it up by driving the right baseline for a layup off of the assist from Williams to push their lead to, 4-0. Chasen Buckle got the Mustangs on the board with a lay-up, but Jessie Ortiz answered with a lay-up in transition for the Wildcats to make the score, 6-2, with 5:14 to play in the opening quarter.
Denver City took a time out with 5:11 to play in the first quarter, and out of the break, Jayden Huertas knocked down a three from the right elbow to cut the lead to, 6-5. The Mustangs picked up a steal in the mid-court and Jacob Acosta drilled another three from the right wing to put Denver City in front, 8-6, with under five minutes to go in the quarter.
The Mustangs buried another three and on their next possession, Huertas was fouled on an attempt by Andrew Davis. He converted both free throws to stretch the Mustang lead to, 13-6. With 2:08 remaining in the quarter, McCarty hit Chase Coronado with a long bounce pass in transition for a lay-up to trim the lead to, 13-8.
Davis hit McCarty in transition for a lay-up, but Denver City answered with a three, stretching the lead back out to, 16-10, with 1:28 remaining in the first quarter. Williams sank a floater from the left side and McCarty followed it up with a jumper in the lane off of the assist from Davis to cut the lead to, 16-14.With time winding down in the quarter, McCarty was fouled on an attempt by Buckle. He sank both free throws to make it a one-point Mustang lead, 16-15.
In the closing seconds of the first quarter, McCarty was fouled from behind on a three-point attempt by Gunner Bradley. He made two out of three attempts at the line to give Littlefield a one-point lead heading into quarter number two.
Ortiz opened the second frame with a three from the right wing off of the assist from Davis and McCarty followed it up with a three from the right elbow off of the assist from Williams, making the score, 23-16, with under seven minutes to go in the first half. Huertas drew a block on Ortiz and made one-of-two shots from the line to trim the lead to, 23-17.
McCarty hit Williams with the outlet pass for a lay-up on the fast-break, but Kirk Padgett responded with a layup on the left side, making the score, 25-19, with 4:21 remaining in the half. Williams drained a three from the left elbow off of an assist from McCarty, but the Mustangs answered again, as Buckle dropped in a lay-up to make it a seven-point game, 28-21.
The Wildcats stayed on the attack, as McCarty used a euro-step to get to the basket for a lay-up in transition and he followed it up with a lay-up on the left side, stretching their lead to, 32-21. With just over a minute to play in the half, Padgett drove the left side for a lay-up and on their next possession, Christian Montes was fouled on an attempt by Coronado; he converted both shots at the line, cutting the lead to, 32-25.
Williams knocked down a stepback three from the top of the key for the Wildcats, but on the other end, Buckle was fouled on an attempt by Davis, his second. Buckle sank both free throws to trim the lead to, 35-27, but in the closing seconds of the half, Littlefield dropped in a put-back to extend their lead to, 37-27, going into the locker room at halftime.
McCarty drove the left side for a lay-up to open the second half, but with 7:12 to play in the third, Padgett took a charge on McCarty and on their next possession, Huertas as fouled on an attempt by Anastasio Ayala. He drained both free throws to make it a 10-point game, butWilliams quickly responded with a three from the left elbow to push the lead back out to, 42-29.
Ortiz hit McCarty in transition for a lay-up, but on the other end, Kolby Davenport was fouled on an attempt by Coronado, his second. Davenport made one-of-two shots from the line, trimming the lead to, 44-30. Littlefield would answer, as Ayala dished the ball to Williams, who then hit Ortiz under the basket for a lay-up in transition, making it a 16-point lead, 46-30.
Denver City dropped in a bucket before taking a time out with 4:30 to play in the third quarter. Out of the break, some tight defense by the Mustangs forced a five-second call on Williams. Denver City would capitalize on the turnover, as Huertas dropped in a lay-up, drawing an andone foul on Davis, his third. The initial free throw was no good, but a lane violation was called on the Wildcats. Huertas converted the extra free throw to cut the lead to, 46-36, with under four minutes to play in the quarter.
Huertas dropped in a quick lay-up off of a Wildcat turnover, but McCarty answered with a lay-up through traffic to keep it a 10-point game, 48-38. With just over three minutes remaining in the quarter, McCarty was fouled on an attempt by Acosta. He converted both free throws and Coronado followed it up on their next possession with an offensive rebound and put-back off of a miss by Williams, stretching the lead to, 52-38.
With 2:11 remaining in the third, Bradley was fouled on the floor by Williams and sank one-of-two shots from the line, making the score, 52-39. With 1:33 to play in the quarter, McCarty drew a block on Joel Saenz in transition; he made the first shot, but missed the second, making the score, 53-39. Denver City would cut the lead to single digits to close out the third quarter, as Bradley dropped in a put-back and Saenz drained a three from the left wing to make the score, 53-44, heading into the final quarter of play.
Buckle drove the middle for a layup to open the fourth quarter and Huertas drained a three from the left elbow to slice the lead to, 53-49, as Littlefield took a time out with 6:12 left in the game. Buckle dropped in a putback, drawing an and-one foul on McCarty, his third. He converted the free throw and Bradley followed it up with a three from the left wing, giving the Mustangs the lead, 55-53, with 3:15 remaining in the contest. Littlefield took a time out with 3:06 to play, and out of the break, Buckle was fouled on a chase-down block by McCarty, his fourth. Buckle drained both free throws to stretch their lead to four points, 57-53.
With 1:44 remaining, McCarty delivered a block on the three-point line, gathering the loose ball, which led to a fast-break lay-up to make it a onepossession game, 57-55. The Wildcats took a time out with 1:43 left to play, and with 36.5 seconds remaining, Coronado delivered a block, as the ball went out of bounds off of Denver City.
The Mustangs took a time out with 13.6 seconds left to prevent a turnover, and with 7.7 seconds remaining, Buckle was fouled on the floor by Williams and made one-of-two shots from the line, as the Wildcats fell at home to the Mustangs, 58-55.
McCarty led the team with 29 points, 13 rebounds, five blocks, three steals and one assist, while Williams tallied 13 points, nine rebound, three assists and one steal, and Ortiz contributed seven points and 10 rebounds. Coronado finished with six points, four rebound and one steal.
The Wildcats will be back in action on Dec. 3rd when they travel to Floydada to take on the Whirlwinds.
Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.