The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity basketball team struggled to get going offensively on Tuesday afternoon, as they fell on the road to the Farwell Steers, 45-29.
With the loss, the Wildcats fall to 7-5 overall, 1-0 in district play heading into the Christmas break.
Junior, Ethan Garcia took a charge on Leo Nunez to open the contest for Littlefield, but Leefe Actkinson responded with a lay-up over junior, Jor-dan Trevino to get the Steers on the board, 2-0.
Waldrop knocked down a three from the left elbow off of an assist from Jonathan Mora and followed it up with a layup, making it a, 7-0 scoring run for Farwell, as the Wildcats took a time out with 4:39 to play in the opening quarter.
Out of the break, senior forward, Tyree Jones, took a charge on Leo Nunez and followed it up with a lay-up off of the assist from junior, Jaron Cabello, making the score, 7-2.
With 1:15 to play in the first quarter, senior forward, Chris Brown, dropped in a put-back drawing an and-one foul on Slade Perkins. The free throw from Brown was no good, leaving the score, 7-4, as the first quarter came to a close.
Cabello buried a three from the left elbow off of the assist from senior guard, Joseph Salinas, tying the game, 7-7, to open the second quarter. On the following possession, Jones was fouled on an attempt by Sides. He made one-of-two shots at the line to give Littlefield their first lead of the game, 8-7.
Austin Hester answered with a three from the right elbow and Waldrop followed it up with a short jumper in the lane, as Farwell regained the lead, 12-8, with 5:36 left to play in the first half. Sides dropped in a put-back and the Steers buried another three from the right elbow, pushing their lead out to, 17-8, with 4:20 to play in the half.
Brown stopped the scoring run with a lay-up for the Wildcats, but with time winding down in the half, Waldrop buried a three from the left elbow, making the score, 20-10, as the first half came to a close.
Jones was called for a fivesecond call near mid-court to open the second half and the Farwell scoring began again, as Leo Nunez drained a three from the left wing and Jose Rodriguez followed it up with a jumper from the left wing, stretching the Farwell lead out to 15 points, 25-10.
Garcia got the Wildcats on the board in the third quarter with a three from the right elbow, as the Wildcats took a time out with 3:55 remaining in the quarter, trailing the Steers, 25-13. Out of the break, Actkinson was fouled on an attempt by Brown; he converted both free throws and followed it up on their next possession with a lay-up on the left side in transition, pushing the Farwell lead back out to, 31-13.
With under one minute to play, Actkinson knocked down a jumper in the lane, drawing an and-one foul on Salinas. He converted the free throw to finish off the three-point play, making the score, 34-13. With just over 30 seconds to play in the quarter, Jones was fouled on a put-back attempt by Sides. He split the free throws to cut the lead to 20 and in the closing seconds of the quarter, Salazar drew a shooting foul on Sides, sending him to the line for free throws. He too split the attempts, making the score, 34-15, as the third quarter came to a close.
Brown knocked down a freethrow line jumper off of the assist from Salazar to open the fourth quarter, but Rodriguez answered with a lay-up off of the assist from Mora, making the score, 36-17. Brown knocked down another jumper from the right wing and followed it up with a jumper from the left elbow off of the nolook pass from Salinas, trimming the lead to, 36-21, with 6:45 remaining in the contest.
Farwell came right back with a bucket on the other end, but the Wildcats again answered, as Jones drove the right side for a lay-up, cutting the lead to, 38-23, as the Steers called for a time out to talk things over with 5:54 remaining. Out of the break, Salinas was fouled on an attempt by Rodriguez. He made the first and missed the second, leaving the score, 38-24.
With 4:13 remaining, Salinas tossed a no-look pass to Brown, who was fouled on the attempt by Waldrop. Brown missed the first shot, but sank the second to make the score, 38-25. Salinas picked up a steal and took it the other way, drawing a shooting foul on Mora. He sank both free throws, trimming the lead to, 38-27.
The Steers, though, would close out the fourth quarter on a, 7-2, scoring run, as the Wildcats fell on the road to Farwell, 45-29.
Brown led the Wildcats in scoring with 11 points, while Jones, chipped in six points and Garcia, Salinas, Salazar and Cabello each finished with three points in the contest.
The Wildcats will return to action on Dec. 29th with a home game against Sundown in nondistrict action.
Tip-off is slated for 4 p.m.