The Springlake-Earth Wolverines’ varsity basketball team fell to the host team Whitharral Panthers on Thursday in the opening round of the Whitharral Tournament, 7165.
With the loss, the Wolverines fall into the Consolation bracket.
Kaleb Castillo opened the game with a lay-up for the Wolverines and JJ Jaramillo followed it up with a lay-up in transition off of the turnover from Shamadrick Weaver, as Whitharral took a time out with 7:02 to play in the opening quarter. Out of the break, Micah Sanchez dropped in a lay-up off of the assist from Castillo, pushing their lead to, 6-0.
Kaden Smith knocked down a three for the Panthers to get them on the board, but Isaiah Tovar answered with a three from the left elbow to push their lead to, 9-3, with 5:52 remaining in the first quarter. Jeryn Ellerd was fouled on an attempt by Sanchez and converted both free throws to make the score, 9-5, and Weaver followed it up with a step-back jumper from the left elbow to make it a one-possession game, 9-7.
With just under three minutes remaining in the quarter, Jaramillo dropped in a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Dawson Rodgers. He missed the free throw, as Whitharral took it the other way with Weaver dropping in a lay-up, off of the assist from Brent Robinson. Weaver dropped in a lay-up off of a steal to tie the game, drawing an and-one foul on Alex Alvarez. He missed the free throw, leaving the score, 11-11, with 1:48 to play in the first.
Nomar Gomez dropped in a putback to close out the first quarter with the Panthers in front, 13-11.
Sanchez opened the second frame with a three from the right wing and two plays later, Castillo was fouled on a fast-break attempt by Smith. He converted both free throws to extend their lead to, 1613, with 7:10 to play in the half. Froylan Agundiz dropped in a layup for the Wolverines, but the Panthers answered with a bucket on the other end to make the score, 1816.
With 6:32 to play in the half, Smith dropped in a lay-up, drawing an and- one foul on Castillo. He couldn’t convert the free throw leaving the game tied, 18-18. Ellerd buried a three from the left elbow, but Tovar dropped in a floater from the left side off of a steal and the assist from Jaramillo in their own end to cut the lead to, 21-20.
Gomez dropped in a reverse layup, drawing an and-one foul on Sanchez; he converted the free throw to extend their lead to four points, 24-20. Tovar dropped in a lay-up for the Wolverines to make it a one-possession game, but on the other end, Smith was fouled on an attempt by Alvarez earning a trip to the line. He converted both free throws to make it a four-point Panther lead, 26-22.
Agundiz dropped in a floater for the Wolverines, drawing an andone foul on Smith. He converted the free throw to bring the Wolverines within one point, 26-25, with 4:16 to play in the half. Rodgers knocked down a pair of free throws for the Panthers and Weaver scored a lay-up in transition to push their lead to, 30-25. After a pair of missed free throws by Jaramillo, Gomez dropped in a lay-up off of a Wolverine turnover, stretching their lead to, 32-25.
Jaramillo split a pair of free throws and on the next play, Tovar dropped a dime to Gavin Gonzales, who was fouled on the shot attempt by Weaver. He split the free throws to trim the lead to, 32-27. With under one minute to play in the half, Gomez knocked down a jumper from the left wing, but Jaramillo responded with a turnaround jumper from the left side on the second-chance try, trimming the lead to, 34-29.
Gomez dropped in another layup to close out the first half with the Panthers in front, 36-29.
Tovar dropped in a lay-up to open the second half, but Gomez answered with a lay-up of his own, drawing an and-one foul on Tovar. He couldn’t convert the free throw, leaving the score, 38-31, with 7:16 remaining in the third quarter. Jaramillo converted a pair of free throws, after being fouled by Weaver and followed it up with a three from the right elbow, off of the assist from Tovar, making the score, 38-36, with 6:04 to play in the third.
Jarrett Fryar knocked down a fade-away jumper from the right elbow and Gomez followed it up with a lay-up off of a steal from Jaramillo to stretch the lead back out to, 42--36. Ellerd intercepted a long pass from Jaramillo, taking it the other way for a fast-break lay-up, but Tovar answered with a three from the right wing off of the kick-out from Jaramillo, trimming the lead to, 44-39.
Fryar dropped in a lay-up off of an inbound play, but Tovar answered with a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Ellerd. He converted the free throw to cut the lead to four points, 46-42, with just over four minutes to play in the quarter. Gomez dropped in a lay-up off of a steal, but the Wolverines fired right back with a lay-up in transition to make the score, 48-44.
Jaramillo drained a three from the left wing, off of the assist from Tovar, but on the other end, Gomez was fouled on a put-back attempt by Tovar. He converted both free throws to make the score, 50-47. Gonzales dropped in a lay-up off of the assist from Tovar, but on the other end Ellerd was fouled on an attempt by Jaramillo. He split the free throws, however, Jaramillo closed out the third quarter with a lay-up to tie the game, 51-51, heading into the final quarter of play.
Fryar opened the fourth quarter with a lay-up off of the assist from Ellerd, but Jaramillo answered with a runner in the lane to keep the game tied, 53-53. Fryar and Ellerd each split a pair of free throws and Weaver went coast-to-coast for a lay-up to stretch their lead to, 5753, but Tovar responded with a putback off of a miss by Castillo to make it a one-possession game, 57-55, as Whitharral took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Gomez knocked down a three from the right elbow and Ellerd followed it up with a lay-up on the left side, making the score, 62-55, with just over two minutes to play in the game.
Tovar converted a pair of free throws for the Wolverines, but on the other end, Gomez dumped a pass off to Fryar for a lay-up to extend their lead to, 64-57. Tovar answered with a three from the left wing, as Head Coach CJ Castillo called a quick time out to set up the defense with 1:16 remaining. Out of the break, Fryar split a pair of free thorws and Smith kissed a floater off the glass to make it a sevenpoint Panther lead, 67-60, with under one minute to play.
Jaramillo buried a three for the Wolverines, as they took another time out with 47 seconds remaining in the contest. Out of the break, Jack Griffin converted a pair of free throws and split another pair before Jaramillo dropped in a put-back off of the miss by Alvarez to make the score, 70-65. Ellerd split a pair of free throws to close out the game, as the Wolverines fell to the Panthers, 71-65.
The Wolverines were led in scoring by Jaramillo, who tallied 24 points, and he was joined in doublefigures scoring by Tovar, who tallied 24 points. Sanchez and Agundiz each netted five points, while Castillo chipped in four points, and Gonzales finished with three points.