The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity basketball team held off a late surge from Idalou at home on Tuesday night to take their first district meeting of the season, 77-66.
With the win, the Wildcats improve to 15-6 overall, 4-2 in district play.
Kam McCarty opened the contest with a pull-up from the right elbow, but on the other end, Jenson Davis was fouled on a jump shot by Nate Castaneda. He converted both free throws to tie the game, but it was short-lived, as Ryan Williams went coast-to-coast for a lay-up, making the score, 4-2, with 6:35 remaining in the opening quarter.
Kutter Houchin responded with a put-back for Idalou, drawing an and- one foul on Castaneda, his second. Houchin drained the free throw to give Idalou their first lead of the game, 5-4. Houchin followed it up with a steal from Williams, taking it the other way for a fastbreak lay-up, but Chip Green answered with a three from the left elbow to tie the game, 7-7.
With 5:16 left to play in the first quarter, Green hit McCarty with an outlet pass for a lay-up in transition, but Jenson Davis answered picking up a turnover from Jose Payan and finishing with a lay-up in transition off of the assist from Kamdon Lutrick, tying the game, 9-9.
McCarty drew a blocking foul on Lucas Jarnagin, earning a trip to the line. He made the first shot and missed the second, but Jayden Barrio was there for the offensive rebound and put-back to push their lead to, 12-9. The Wildcats kept it going offensively, as Green hit McCarty in transition for another quick layup, forcing Idalou to take a time out with 3:59 to play, trailing, 149.
Out of the break, Williams picked up a steal and knocked down a step-back three from the right elbow, pushing their lead to, 17-9. With 2:26 remaining in the quarter, Lutrick was fouled on an attempt by Payan; he split the free throws, trimming the lead to, 17-10. But, on the next play, Williams picked up a steal in their own end and put it up for an easy lay-up, extending their lead to, 19-10.
Bryson Estes knocked down a three from the left elbow for Idalou, but Barrio double pumped for a lay-up off of an assist from Green and Williams followed it up with a put-back off of a miss by Green, pushing their lead to, 23-13. However, in the closing seconds of the quarter, Houchin was fouled on the floor by Barrio and split the free throws, making the score, 23-14, as the first quarter came to a close.
McCarty knocked down a pull-up jumper from the top of the key to open the second frame, but Houchin answered with a three of his own from the right wing and Jenson Davis followed it up with a drive through the middle for a lay-up, cutting the lead to, 25-19, with just under seven minutes to play in the half. McCarty knocked down a jumper from the right elbow, but Houchin again answered with a three from the right elbow, making the score, 27-22.
Williams dropped in a floater from the left side, drawing an and-one foul on Jenson Davis, his second. He converted the free throw, pushing their lead back out to, 30-22, with 5:26 remaining in the half. Lutrick knocked down a jumper from the right wing for Idalou and Jenson Davis dropped in a floater in the lane to make it a four-point game, but on the other end, McCarty drove the left side off of a screen from Ben Castillo, dropping in a lay-up and drawing an and-one foul on Lutrick. He missed the free throw leaving the score, 3226.
Barrio tipped an offensive rebound out to McCarty, who drove the right side for a lay-up, forcing Idalou to take another time out with the lead back out to, 34- 26. Out of the break, Lutrick was fouled on an attempt by Williams, his second. He made one-of-two shots from the line, but Andrew Davis dropped in a put-back off of a miss by Green and green followed it up with a floater in the lane to make the score, 38-27.
McCarty would close out the first half with a step-back jumper from the left elbow, making the score, 40- 27, going into the locker room at halftime.
Houchin opened the second half with a three from the top of the key for Idalou, but McCarty answered with a pull-up jumper in the lane to make the score, 4230. Jarnagin responded with a reverse lay-up for Idalou, but Littlefield again answered, as Green buried a three from the left elbow off of the assist from Williams, making the score, 45-32, with 5:18 to play in the third quarter.
Jenson Davis was fouled on an attempt by Castaneda, his third. He made one-of-two shots from the line to trim the lead to, 45-33, but Littlefield got out on a two-on-one break, as McCarty hit Barrio for the lay-up, pushing their lead out to, 47- 33. Houchin and Green exchanged lay-ups, as Idalou took a time out, trailing Littlefield, 49-35, with 3:07 left to play in the third quarter.
Out of the break, Estes drained a three from the left elbow and Houchin followed it up with a jumper from the right elbow, as Littlefield took a time out with 2:23 left to play in the quarter and their lead cut to single digits, 49- 40. Out of the break, McCarty drove the left side for a lay-up, but Houchin answered with a corner three from the right side to make the score, 51-43. With under a minute to play in the quarter, Barrio drove the right side for a lay-up to make it a 10-point game, 53-43, as the third quarter came to a close.
Castaneda poked a ball away to open the fourth quarter, as it was picked up by Green and tossed ahead to Barrio on the break, who finished with a layup to extend their lead to, 55-43. Lutrick answered with a three from the right wing, but on the other end, Barrio was fouled on an attempt by Jenson Davis, his third. He converted both shots from the line to make the score, 57-46.
Williams tossed an outlet pass down court to Green, who dished it across the lane to McCarty for a transition lay- up, as Idalou took a time out with 5:31 to play in the game. Out of the break, Estes knocked down a jumper for Idalou, but Castaneda dropped in a bucket for Littlefield to make the score, 61-48. Houchin hit a cutting Jarnagin for a lay-up and after the play, Idalou’s coach was called for a technical foul, putting Green on the line for free throws. He converted one-oftwo shots from the line to make the score, 62-50.
With 3: 37 remaining, Aj Huddleston grabbed an offensive rebound and dished it to a cutting Houchin, who dropped in a lay-up and drew a and-one foul on Castaneda, his fourth. The free throw was good, trimming the lead to, 62-53. The Wildcats answered with a bucket, but Jarnagin answered with a lay-up to make the score, 64-55.
With just under three minutes left to play, Jarnagin was called for a charge and Williams capitalized, knocking down a three from the right elbow, off of the assist from McCarty, making the score, 67- 55. Estes knocked down a jumper from the right wing off of the assist form Jarnagin and Houchin followed it up with a lay-up in transition, as Littlefield took a time out with 1:54 to play, and the score, 6759.
Estes picked up a steal from Green and dropped in a put-back off of his own miss to make it a six-point game, but with under a minute to play, Green was fouled on the floor by Huddleston; he sank both free throws to push the lead back out to double-digits, 71-61. Houchin dropped in a floater in the lane, as Idalou quickly called a time out with 28.7 seconds to play in the contest.
Out of the break, Barrio was fouled on the floor by Peytan Moyers; he sank both free throws to stretch the lead to, 7363. With 14 seconds left, Barrio was fouled again by Moyers and he again sank both free throws to extend their lead to, 75-63. Lutrick answered with a three from the top of the key for Idalou, but Williams drained a pair of free throws in the closing seconds, as Littlefield went on to take down Idalou, 77-66.
The Wildcats were led by McCarty, who finished with 23 points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals. Barrio tallied 18 points and four rebounds, while Williams chipped in 17 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals, and Green contributed 13 points, seven rebounds, five assists and one steal.
Castaneda added four points and one rebound, while David finished with two points and two rebounds. Coleman chipped in four rebounds and one assist.
The Wildcats were at Friona on Friday to take on the Chieftains. Results were not available at press time. They will continue their season on Tuesday with a home game against the Slaton Tigers.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.