The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity basketball team defeated the Blue Ridge Tigers on Saturday, 51-42, to claim the 2023 Roosevelt Tournament Championship.
With the win, the Wildcats finished the tournament 4-0, improving to 8-0 overall on the season.
Jeremiah Trevino opened the contest with a lay-up off of the inbound pass from Ryan Williams, but on the other end, Tallen Lennon was fouled on an attempt by MJ Randle. He converted both shots at the line to tie the game, 22. With 6:42 remaining in the opening quarter, Ryan Williams was fouled on a put-back attempt by Lennon, off of the miss by Chip Green. He made one-of-two shots from the line to put Littlefield back in front, 3-2.
Blue Ridge answered with a jumper to regain the lead, 4-3, and on their next possession, Lucas Morris was fouled on an attempt by Randle, earning a trip to the line. He made one-of-two from the free throw line to make it a onepossession Tigers lead and he followed it up with a three from the right wing off of the inbound play to tie the game, 8-3, with 4:29 to play in the first quarter.
Kam McCarty dropped in a floater in the lane, but on the next play, Morris picked up a steal taking it the other way for a fast-break lay-up, stretching the lead back out to, 10-5. With 1:46 to play in the quarter, Ryan Williams drained a three from the left wing off of the assist from Jayden Barrio, but on the other end, Emilio Tenorio was fouled on the floor by Ryan Williams, earning a trip to the line. He split the free-throw attempts, pushing the lead back out to, 11-8.
But, with time winding down in the quarter, Sir Pratt dropped in a lay-up off of the bounce pass through traffic from McCarty to cut the lead to one point, 11-10, as the first quarter came to a close.
Morris opened the second quarter with a put-back off of his own miss for the Tigers, but with 6:42 to play in the half, a block by Trevino on the defensive end led to a fastbreak reverse lay-up for Omar Martinez to make it a one-point Tiger’s lead, 13-12. Martinez picked up a steal on the next play and dished it ahead to Green, who was fouled on the shot attempt by Hayden Dean. He converted oneof- two shots from the line to tie the game, 13-13.
With 5:36 to play in the half, Dean dropped in a lay-up for the Tigers, drawing an and-one foul on McCarty. He sank the free throw to make it a one-possession lead for Blue Ridge, 15-13. Ja’Den Williams drained a three from the left wing off of the assist from Martinez to regain the lead for Littlefield, but Isaiah Gaddis and Morris scored back-to-back buckets to regain the lead for the Tigers, 19-16, as Blue Ridge took a time out with 3:20 to play in the first half.
Out of the break, Martinez buried a three from the left elbow off of the assist from Ja’Den Williams to tie the game, and Barrio followed it up with a steal passing it ahead to Green, who dished it to Martinez in transition for the fastbreak lay-up, putting Littlefield in front, 21-19. With just over a minute to play in the half, Barrio drained a three from the left wing off of the assist from Pratt, but in the closing seconds, Caleb Gaddis dropped in a floater from the right wing to trim the Wildcats’ lead to, 24-21, going into the locker room at halftime.
Trevino opened the second half with a steal, taking it the other way for a fast-break lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Isaiah Gaddis. The free throw was good, making the score, 27-21, with 6:31 remaining in the third quarter. Isaiah Gaddis answered with a lay-up for the Tigers, but on the next play, Green grabbed an offensive rebound, passing it to Ryan Williams, who bounced it to Trevino for a layup, extending their lead to, 29-23.
With 4:31 to play in the quarter, Trevino grabbed a steal and dished the outlet pass to Martinez, who was fouled on the fast-break by Micah Dickerson. Martinez made one-of-two from the line, making the score, 30-23. Lennon responded with a drive to the basket for a lay-up, but Martinez fired right back with a three from the left wing to push the lead to, 3325, with 3:38 to play in the quarter.
With under three minutes to play in the quarter, Green grabbed an offensive rebound off of the miss by Ryan Williams and he was fouled on the put-back attempt by Lennon. Green converted both shots from the line to stretch the lead to, 35-25. With 1:48 to play in the third, Dickerson knocked down a three from the top of the key, as the Tigers took a time out with 1:45 to play in the quarter, trailing, 35-28.
Out of the break, Ryan Williams sank a three from the left elbow off of the assist from Randle, but on the other end, Isaiah Gaddis was fouled on an attempt by Trevino. He made one-of-two shots from the line, making the score, 38-29, going into the final quarter of play.
McCarty knocked down a pullup three from the top of the key to open the fourth quarter and Ja’Den Williams dropped in a putback off of his own miss to stretch their lead to, 43-29, with 4:27 left to play. Isaiah Gaddis dropped in a lay-up, as the Tigers took a time out with just over four minutes remaining in the game. Out of the break, Barrio dropped in a lay-up, but Dickerson answered with a put-back off of a miss by Isaiah Gaddis to make the score, 45-33.
Littlefield dropped in a bucket, but the Tigers again answered, as Isaiah Gaddis dropped in a lay-up, as the Tigers quickly called time out with 2:35 remaining in the game. Out of the break, Lennon dropped in a lay-up off of a turover by McCarty and Dickerson followed it up with a lay-up on the left side to cut the lead to, 47-39, as Blue Ridge took a time out with 1:22 remaining.
Out of the break, Ryan Williams dished a no look pass to Trevino for a lay-up, but with under a minute to play, Isaiah Gaddis scored a put-back off of his own miss, drawing an and-one foul on Trevino. He converted the free throw to cut the lead to, 49-42, with under a minute to play. With 28.1 seconds remaining, Isaiah Gaddis was fouled on the floor by Trevino, who fouled out of the contest, but he missed both free throws, as Littlefield took a time out with 19.5 seconds to play in the game.
Out of the break, Ryan Williams was fouled on the floor by Dickerson and sank both free throws to ice the game, 51-42.
Martinez led the Wildcats with 10 points, five rebounds, two steals and one assist, and he was joined in double-figures scoring by Ryan Williams, who finished with 10 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals. Trevino tallied nine points, three rebounds, three steals, one assist and one block.
McCarty chipped in seven points, two rebounds, two assists and one steal, while Ja’Den Williams contributed five points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal, and Barrio added five points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Green tallied three points and four rebounds, while Pratt chipped in two points, three rebounds and one assist and Randle finished with three rebounds, two assists and one steal.
The Wildcats hosted Floydada on Tuesday. Results were not available at press time They will continue their season on Thursday when they travel to Farwell to take on Portales in the first Round of tournament play.
Tip-off is scheduled for 11:40 a.m.