The Littefield Wildcats’ varsity basketball team went on the road and took down the Denver City Mustangs, 53-38.
With the win, the Wildcats improved to 2-0 overall on the year.
Jayden Barrio hit Elijah Rodriguez for a lay-up to open the game, as he drew an and-one foul on Kirk Padgett. Rodriguez missed on the free throw, leaving the score, 2-0, with 7:38 to play in the opening quarter. Jose Payan followed it up with a three from the left wing off of the assist from Barrio, but Joel Saenz answered with a three from the top of the key for Denver City, cutting the lead to, 5-3.
Barrio was fouled on an attempt by Saenz and converted both free throws, but on the other end, Jacob Acosta got the ball down low to Padgett, who dropped in a lay-up, drawing an andone foul on Chase Coronado. He converted the free throw to make it a one-point Littlefield lead, 76.
Payan dropped in a layup off of the assist from Barrio and with under a minute to play in the first quarter, Barrio drove the left side, dropping in a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Saenz. He sank the free throw to push the lead back out to, 12-6. In the closing seconds of the quarter, Barrio drove the right side using a spin move to get to the basket for a lay-up, making the score, 14-6, as the first quarter came to a close.
Padgett opened the second frame with a transition lay-up for Denver City, but Zach Trevino answered with a three for the Wildcats from the right wing, pushing their lead back out to, 17-8, with under six minutes remaining in the half.
Saenz draind a three from the left elbow, as the Mustangs took a time out with 5:14 to play in the half, trailing the Wildcats, 17-11. Out of the break, Rodriguez was fouled on a third-chance try by Padgett. He made the first shot and missed the second, but Trevino was able to gather the offensive rebound, dishing it to Rodriguez, who finished the play with a reverse lay-up, making the score, 20-11.
With 3:28 to play in the first half, Barrio got into the paint, using a drop step to get to the basket for a layup, pushing their lead to, 2211. On the other end, Padgett was fouled on an attempt by Rodriguez; he sank both shots at the line, trimming the lead to, 22-13. Barrio would respond by drive the left side, dishing a no-look pass to Rodriguez for a lay-up, making the score, 24-13.
With just over two minutes to go in the half, Padgett knocked down a three from the right wing, but Barrio fired right back with a three of his own from the right wing, off of the assist from Nehemiah Beanes, making the score, 27-16.
Padgett knocked down another three for the Mustangs, but with under a minute to play in the half, Rodriguez poked a ball away on the defensive end, as it was picked up and taken the other way by Barrio, who finished the fastbreak with a lay-up, stretching the lead to, 29-19. Denver City woud close out the first half with a jumper to make the score, 29-21, going into the locker room at halftime.
Out of the break, Saenz knocked down a jumper from the right elbow, but Payan hit a cutting Barrio with a bounce pass for a layup on the left side, pushing the lead to, 31-23, with 6:48 to play in the third quarter. Saenz drained a three from the right elbow to keep the Mustangs within single digits, 31-26, but on the next play, Beanes dropped in a lay-up off of the assist from Rodriguez, making the score, 33-26.
Saenz stayed hot from long distnace with another triple from the top of the key, but on the other end, Payan drove the left side, dishing it across to Rodriguez for a lay-up to extend the lead back out to, 35-29. With 3:15 to play in the third, Barrio was fouled on an attempt by Saenz, his third. Barrio converted oneof- two shots from the line, and Rodriguez followed it up with a put-back off of a miss by Beanes to stretch their lead back out to, 38-29.
With under two minutes to go, Barrio dropped in a floater from the left side, but Saenz answered with a three from the top of the key, making the score, 40-32, as Littlefield took a time out with 1:13 to play in the quarter. Out of the break, Beanes knocked down a three from the right wing, making the score, 43-32, going into the final quarter of play.
Barrio opened the fourth quarter with a steal, going coast-to-coast for a lay-up, extending the lead to, 45-32. Acosta dropped in a floater in the lane, and Padgett followed it up with a steal from Payan on their own end for a quick lay-up, trimming the lead to, 45-36, as Littlefield took a time out with 4:37 to play in the game.
Out of the break, Rodriguez dropped in a putback off of a miss by Payan, but on their next possession, Rodriguez was called for a charge turning the ball over to the Mustangs with 3:18 to play. Littlefield would reain possession, as Barrio drove the left side for a layup, drawing an and-one foul on the play. He missed the free throw, leaving the score, 49-36.
With 2:22 to play, the Mustangs split a pair of free throws before taking a time out with the score, 49-37. out of the break, Barrio was fouled on an attempt by Acosta and buried both free throws, pushing the lead to, 51-37. With under a minute to go in the game, Denver City split a pair of free throws, but Rodriguez answered with a lay-up on the left side, making the score, 53-38, as the Wildcats took the contest on the road.
Barrio led the team in scoring with 25 points, to go along with five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Rodriguez joined him in double-figures scoring with 15 points, eight rebounds, three steals, two blocks and one assist.
Beanes tallied five points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals, while Payan chipped in five points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Trevino finished with three points, nine rebounds, three blocks and one steal.
The Wildcats hosted Abernathy on Monday. Results were not available at press time. They will continue their season on Tuesday, Dec. 2nd with a home game against Lubbock Christian.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.