The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity basketball team grinded out a victory over Roosevelt on the road, taking down the Eagles, 60-51.
With the win, the Wildcats improve to 18-8 overall, 7-4 in district play.
Ryan Bradshaw was fouled on an attempt by Nate Castaneda to open the contest; he converted both free throws to put the Eagles in front, 2-0, but it was short-lived, as Chip Green grabbed a defensive rebound, dishing the outlet pass ahead to Jayden Barrio, who finished the fast-break with a lay-up, tying the game, 2-2. Bradshaw dropped in a floater from the left side off of the assist from Cedric Murphy, but Barrio answered with a three from the left elbow, off of the assist from Ryan Williams, putting the Wildcats in front, 5-4, with 5:32 to play in the opening quarter.
Barrio was fouled on a fastbreak by Nate Casarez, earning a trip to the line. He made one-oftwo shots at the line to make it a one-possession game, 6-4. On their next possession, Castaneda was fouled on an attempt by Casarez, his second. Castaneda sank both free throws to push their lead to, 8-4, but Murphy answered with a lay-up on the other end to keep it a one-possession game, 8-6.
With 3:11 to play in the first quarter, Williams dished an outlet pass down court to Green, who finished the play with a lay-up and Green followed it up with a pass to a cutting Williams in the lane for a layup in transition, stretching their lead to, 12-6, as the Eagles took a time out with 2:50 left to play in the quarter.
Out of the break, Gavino Webster drained a three from the right elbow off of the assist from Murphy, but Barrio answered with a three from the left elbow off of the assist from Williams and Green followed it up with a three from the right corner, pushing their lead to, 18-9. With time winding down in the quarter, Webster dropped in a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Castaneda. He missed the free throw, trimming the lead to, 18-11, as the first quarter came to a close.
The Eagles opened the second frame on a, 7-0, scoring run to tie the game, 18-18, as Littlefield took a time out with 6:09 to play in the first half. With 2:32 to play in the half, Kobe Mireles buried a three from the right wing, but Green answered with a three of his own on the other end, off of the assist from Ben Castillo, making the score, 2121.
Barrio picked up a steal in their own end, and dished a no-look pass to Williams under the basket for a lay-up to reclaim the lead, and Williams followed it up with a three from the left elbow off of the assist from Barrio, pushing their lead to, 26-21. With time winding down in the half, Williams would grab an offensive rebound and drop it in for a put-back to close out the first half with Littlefield in front, 28-21.
Webster was fouled on an attempt by Castillo to open the second half; he split the attempts at the line, trimming the lead to, 2822. Murphy would followed it up with a lay-up on the left side to cut the lead in half, but Williams answered with a three from the right elbow off of the assist from Barrio and Castillo dropped in a floater from the left side off of an assist from Barrio, extending their lead to, 33-24, with 5:15 to play in the third quarter.
Kason Grizzell was fouled on an attempt by Castillo and converted both shots at the line, but on the next play, Sammy Saenz sent the outlet pass down court to Barrio for a lay-up in transition, pushing the lead back out to, 35-26, with 4:25 to play in the half. Webster drove the right side for a lay-up, but Littlefield answered again, as Williams dished a pass down low to Saenz for a lay-up, as he drew an and-one foul on Murphy. Saenz converted the free throw, stretching their lead to, 38-28.
With 3:20 remaining in the quarter, Jose Payan took a charge on Webster, but the Eagles would regain possession, as Webster drove the left side for a lay-up, making the score, 38-30, as the Eagles took a time out with 1:23 to play in the third. With time winding down in the quarter, Williams grabbed a defensive rebound and launched the outlet pass down court to Barrio, who dropped in the fast-break lay-up to close out the third quarter with Littlefield in front, 40-30.
Saenz buried a three from the right wing to open the final frame, but Murphy dropped in a put-back on the other end, off of a miss by Webster, trimming the lead to, 4332. Green drained a three from the right elbow off of an assist from Castaneda, but Murphy fired right back with a three from the left wing off of the assist from Webster to make the score, 46-35, as the Eagles took a time out with 5:42 remaining.
Out of the break, Barrio dropped in a fast-break lay-up off of the outlet pass from Green, but Webster answered with a three from the right wing to cut the lead to 10 points, 48-38. With 4:44 remaining, Williams was fouled on an attempt by Casarez. He made both attempts at the line to make the score, 50-38, and he followed it up with a lay-up to cut the lead to, 50-40, with 4:26 left to play in the game.
Payan took a charge on Mireles, but the Eagles would regain possession, as Casarez dropped in a lay-up to cut the lead to singledigits, 50-42. Green was fouled on an attempt by Murphy with 2:40 remaining; he sank both free throws to make the score, 52-42, as Littlefield took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Casarez drained a three from the right elbow, as Roosevelt took a time out to preserve the clock with the lead cut to, 52-45.
Castaneda knocked down a pair of free throws for the Wildcats, but Bradshaw and Casarez dropped in back-to-back lay-ups, slicing the lead to, 54-49, as they took another time out with 1:21 to play. Mireles took a charge on Barrio, but Littlefield would regain possession, as Barrio was fouled on the floor by Murphy. He converted both shots at the line, making the score, 56-49, with just over a minute to play.
Webster sank a pair of free throws after being fouled by Barrio and Green split a pair, before Castillo dropped in a lay-up off of the dump pass from Barrio, stretching the lead to, 59-51. With time winding down in the quarter, Williams split a pair of free throws, as Littlefield went on to take the contest, 60-51.
The Wildcats were led by Barrio who tallied 17 points, six rebounds, five assists, three steals and one block. Williams posted a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, to go along with six assists and three steals, while Green added 14 points, eight rebounds, two steals and one assist.
Saenz added six points, three rebounds and one assist, while Castillo chipped in four points, three rebounds and two assists and Castaneda finished with four points, four rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block.
The Wildcats hosted Dimmitt on Tuesday for their second meeting with the Bobcats. Results were not available at press time. They will continue district play on Friday with a road game against Idalou.
Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.