The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity basketball team fell to the New Home Leopards on Thursday in the third-place game, 6949, as they finished fourth at the 31st annual Wildcat Classic.
With the loss, the Wildcats finish tournament play with a mark of 2-2.
Reagan Fiedler drove the right baseline for a lay- up to open the contest for New Home, but Jeremiah Trevino answered with a no- look pass to MJ Randle, who finished the play with a lay- up to tie the game, 2- 2. Dane Armes dropped in a lay- up for New Home and Jackson Martinez knocked down a jumper from the right elbow, before Chip Green dropped in a floater on the right baseline to make the score, 6-4, with 4:35 remaining in the opening quarter.
Fiedler drove the left baseline for a lay- up, but Trevino came right back on the other end, driving the middle of the paint for a lay- up to make the score, 8- 6. Trey Evans scored back- to- back buckets for the Leopards, before Omar Martinez dropped in a floater on the left side to trim the lead to, 12- 8, with 2: 57 to play in the first quarter.
Omar Martinez hit Elijah Salazar with an outlet pass on the fast- break, as Salazar finished the play with a lay- up to make it a one-possession game 12-10. New Home responded with a floater on the right side from Evans, but on the other end, Trevino used a euro- step to get to the basket for a layup, and Salazar followed it up with a three from the left elbow off of the assist from Omar Martinez, giving Littlefield their first lead, 15-14, with 1:37 remaining in the quarter.
Caleb Cook drained a three from the right elbow with two seconds to play in the quarter, but Ryan Williams took a charge on Cook at the buzzer, as the Leopards took a, 17- 15, lead into the second frame.
Evans opened the second quarter with a lay- up in the lane, but Trevino answered with a floater from the left elbow and followed it up with a lay- up off of a steal to tie the game, 19-19, with 5:57 to play in the first half. Omar Martinez was fouled on a shot attempt by Fiedler and converted both free throws to put Littlefield back on top, 21-19.
Ja’Den Williams buried a three from the left wing off of the assist from Trevino and Trevino followed it up with a lay- up off of an assist from Omar Martinez pushing their lead to, 26-19, as New Home took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Cook dropped in a third- chance layup and Fiedler followed it up with a lay- up off of the assist from Cook to cut the lead to, 26- 23, with 2: 40 remaining in the half.
With 1: 20 to play in the second quarter, Ja’Den Williams was fouled on an attempt by Brazos Beck; he split the free throws and Omar Martinez followed it up with a floater in the lane to make the score, 29- 23. Ja’Den Williams took a charge on Evans with under a minute to play in the half, but in the closing seconds, Mason Turnbow dropped in a lay-up to cut the Littlefield lead to, 29- 25, going into the locker room at halftime.
Evans was fouled on an attempt by Salazar to open the second half. He sank both free throws to make it a one- possession game, but the Wildcats quickly answered, as Green buried a three from the right wing, pushing their lead back out to, 32- 27. Back- to- back lay-ups from Evans sparked a, 7-0, scoring run for New Home, putting the Leopards back in front, 34-32, with five minutes to play in the third quarter.
Trevino drove the middle and was fouled on a shot attempt by Turnbow; he made one- of- two shots at the line to make it a one-point New Home lead, 34- 33. Fiedler drove the right side for a lay- up, but on the other end, Ryan Williams spun to the basket and was fouled on the shot attempt by Evans. He made one- of- two shots at the line to keep it a one- possession game, 36- 34, with 4: 18 to play in the quarter.
Fiedler and Cook scored back-to-back buckets for New Home off of assists, as Littlefield took a time out with 2:36 to play in the quarter, trailing the Leopards, 40- 34. Out of the break, Omar Martinez dropped in a floater from the right elbow off of the assist from Green, but Cook answered with a floater from the right side to make the score, 42-36. Ja’Den Williams buried a three from the left wing, off of an assist from Omar Martinez, but New Home would close out the third quarter on a, 5- 2, scoring run to take a, 47- 41, lead into the final quarter of play.
The Leopards caught fire to open the fourth quarter, as they went on an, 8- 0, run, before Littlefield dropped in a bucket to trim the lead to, 55-43, with 4:30 to play in the game. Fiedler dropped in a lay- up off of the inbound pass from Evans, drawing an and- one foul on Randle. He missed the free throw, leaving the score, 57-43.
Trevino knocked down a pair of free throws after being fouled by Cook, but Evans answered with a turnaround jumper from the left baseline to make the score, 59-45. With 2: 38 remaining, Trevino hit Salazar in transition for a layup and on the following play, Ja’Den Williams picked up a steal and got it ahead to Omar Martinez for a lay- up, cutting the lead to, 49- 59.
After a Littlefield time out with 2:21 remaining, New Home would score the final 10 points of the game to take the contest, 69-49.
Trevino led the team in scoring with 13 points and he was joined in double- figures scoring by Martinez, who finished with 12 points. Green, Salazar and Ja’Den Williams each tallied seven points, while Randle added two points and Ryan Williams finished with one point in the contest.