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JEREMIAH SALAZAR - Littlefield Wildcats
The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity baskebtall team throttled the Denver City Mustangs at Wildcat Gym on Friday, 73-41, to close out the season.
With the win, the Wildcats improve to 15-9 overall, 8-4 in district play.
Senior forward, Chris Brown, took a charge on Mario Sanchez to open the contest, but Aiden Shirkey knocked down a jumper from the right elbow to put the Mustangs in front, 2-0. Senior wing, Caden Longoria, buried a three from the right wing off of the assist from Brown to give Littlefield their first lead of the 3-2.
Senior point guard, Jeremiah Salazar, split a double team on their next possession and got to the rim for a lay-up to extend their lead to, 5-2. Denver City knocked down a jumper in the lane to cut the lead to one point, but Brown answered with a put-back off of a miss by Salazar to make the score, 7-4.
Anthony Anderson was fouled on a three-point attempt by Salazar and made two-of-three shots at the line to make it a one-point game again, 7-6. With 3:32 remaining in the opening quarter, Spencer Freeman pulled up for a jumper in the lane and Ashton Galvan followed it up with a jumper from the top of the key to put Denver City back in front, 10-7.
With 2:33 left to play in the first quarter, senior forward, Tyree Jones, knocked down a jumper in the lane, drawing an and one foul on Galvan. He converted the free throw to tie the game, 10-10. Junior guard, Jordan Trevino, knocked down a corner three from the right sdie off of the assist from Salazar to put the Wildcats up, 13-10.
Junior wing, Ethan Garcia, drove the lane and kicked it out to Brown, who drained a three from the left wing, but with under one minute to play in the quarter, Freeman banked in a three from the right elbow to make it a three-point Littlefield lead, 16-13.
With time winding down in the quarter, Salazar buried a deep three from the top of the key to make the score, 19-13, as the first quarter came to a close.
Jones opened the second quarter with a no-look pass to Brown for a lay-up and Salazar followd it up with a three from the right elbow off of the assist from Trevino, pushing their lead out to, 26-13. The barage of three’s continued for Littlefield, as junior, Jaron Cabello drained a three from the left wing off of the assist from Salazar, pushing their lead out to, 29-13, with 5:52 to play in the half.
Denver City took a time out with 5:52 remaining in the half, and out of the break, Anderson was fouled on a three-point attempt by Salazar. He made one-of-three shots at the line, and Jones answered with a three from the right wing to extend their lead to, 32-14.
Jones followed it up on the defensive end with a block, and turned defense into offense, as he gathered the loose ball and went coast-to-coast for a lay-up to make the score, 34-14. Anderson knocked down a jumper in the lane to stop the scoring drought for Denver City, but on the other end, Jones went up and under for a reverse lay-up for Littlefield to stretch their lead to, 36-16, with 3:25 left to play in the half.
With just under three minutes to play in the half, Trevino was fouled on an attempt by Shirkey; he converted one-of-two free throws to make the score 37-16. Trevino drained a corner three from the right side off of the assist from Cabello and Jones followed it up with a three from the left wing off of the assist from Trevino, stretching the lead to, 43-16.
With under two minutes to play in the half, Daniel Ceniceros was fouled on an attempt by Brown; he converted both free throws and Shirkey followed it up with a jumper from the top of the key to trim the lead to, 43-20, going into the locker room at halftime.
Sanchez drove the lane and dumped the ball offto Freeman for a lay-up to open the second half, but Longoria knocked down a catch-and-shoot jumper from the right elbow off of the assist from Jones, extending their lead out to, 45-22.
With 5:22 remaining in the third quarter, Jones hit Longoria with an outlet pass, as he pulled up and knocked down a jumper from the right elbow, making the score, 47-22. With 4:13 remaining in the quarter, Longoria dropped in a fastbreak lay-up, but Carson Little answered with a lay-up of his own for Denver City, off of the assist from Shirkey, trimming the lead to, 49-24.
Brown was fouled on an attempt by Little and converted both free throws and Brown followed it up with a lay-up off of the assist from Jones, drawing an and-one foul on Andres Ortega. He converted the free throw to push their lead out to, 54-24.
Trevino buried a three from the left wing off of the assist from Garcia and Jones dropped in a putback, drawing an and-one foul on Ortega. He missed the free throw leaving the score, 59-24.
Sanchez dropped in a lay-up for Denver City but in the closing seconds of the quarter, Garcia banked in a three at the buzzer to extend their lead to, 62-26, heading into the fmal quarter of play.
Sanchez was fouled on an attempt by Trevino to open the fourth quarter; he sank both free throws and Luis Tello followed it up with a three from the right wing off of the assist from Sanchez, making the score, 62-31.
Littlefield took a time out with 5:46 remaining in the game, and out of the break, Brown dropped in a lay-up off of the inbound pass from Trevino and followed it up with another lay-up on their next possession, making the score, 66-31.
Jones scored a put-back off of a miss by Longoria, but Anderson answered with a three from the right elbow, trimming the lead to, 68-34. Jones split a pair of free throws, but Anderson again answered with a three from the top of the key, cutting the lead to, 69-37, with 3:09 remaining.
Jones drove the baseline for a lay-up, but on the other end, Anderson was fouled on an attempt by Cabello and vonverted both free throws to make the score, 71-39. Tello followed it up with a jumper in the lane for the Mustangs, but in the final seconds, Cabello dropped in a put-back off of a miss by Garcia to close out the game for 73-41.
Jones led the Wildcats in scoring with 20 points, while Brown joined him in double-figures scoring with 16 points and Trevino tallied 12 points.
Longoria chipped in nine points, while Salazar netted eight points and Cabello added five points. Garcia fmished with three points in the contest.
The Wildcats will play either Tornillo or Alpine in the Class 3A Bi-district round of the play-offs. Time, date and place are TBA.