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KADEN CASTILLO - Springlake-Earth Wolverines
The Springlake-Earth Wolverines’ varsity basketball team took down the Morton Indians in their tournament-opener at the 2021 Whitharral invitational on Thursday, 50-24.
Ethan Boggs drove the lane for a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on JJ Jaramillo to open the contest. He converted the free throw to give Morton a three-point lead, but the Wolverines quickly answered, as senior, Keshan Holmes, dropped in a lay-up off of an assist from senior, Evan DeLeon, making the score, 3-2.
Jaramillo buried a three from the top of the key off of the assist from DeLeon and then on the defensive end, Jaramillo forced a fivesecond call on Alex Lopez, regaining possession for the Wolverines. With under five minutes to play in the opening quarter, DeLeon was fouled on an attempt by Aaron Lynskey. He sank both free throws, as Morton took a time out with 3:58 remaining in the quarter. Out of the break, Vicente Montoya drained a three from the right wing to trim the Wolverine lead to, 7-6.
Boggs dropped in a floater from the right side, but with time winding down in the quarter, Jaramillo buried a three from the right elbow to put the Wolverines in front, 10-8, as the first quarter came to a close.
Senior, Kaden Castillo, opened the second quarter with a jumper from the left elbow, off of the assist from senior, Trace Goodman. Castillo followed it up with a layup, off of a steal, forcing Morton to take another time out with 5:57 remaining in the first half. Out of the break, junior, Derrick Rosales, dropped in a lay-up off of the inbound pass from DeLeon, drawing an and-one foul on AJ Mendoza. He missed the free throw leaving the score, 16-8, with just over five minutes to play in the first half.
With 3:31 remaining in the second quarter, Castillo knocked down a mid-range jumper off of the assist from Alex Alvarez to make it a double-digit lead for Springlake-Earth. DeLeon followed it up with a three from the right elbow, off of the assist from Micah Sanchez, pushing their lead to, 21- 8. Montoya ended the scoring drought for Morton with a three from the right elbow and he was fouled on the shot by senior, Josh Samaron. He missed the free throw, cutting the lead to, 21-11.
With under one minute to play in the half, Mendoza was fouled on a fast-break attempt by Alvarez and sank both free throws, but with under one minute to play in the half, Sanchez dropped in a layup off of the assist from Samaron, making the score, 23-13. Lopez dropped in a lay-up and drew an and-one foul on Castillo. He converted the free throw to cut the lead to, 23-16, with under 30 seconds remaining in the half.
In the closing seconds of the half, Alvarez picked up a steal and got it ahead to Castillo, who turned it into a lay-up, making the score, 25-16, with the Wolverines in front going into the locker room at halftime.
Holmes opened the third quarter with with a jumper from the right elbow, off of the assist from Jaramillo, but on the other end, Lopez was fouled on an attempt by Castillo. He sank both free throws, trimming the lead to, 27- 18. DeLeon drained a three from the right elbow off of the assist from Castillo, as Morton took a time out with 3:35 remaining in the third quarter.
Out of the break, Xeno Garza took a charge on Jaramillo, but the Indians couldn’t capitalize on the turnover, as Goodman found Holmes for a jumper from the left elbow, extending their lead to, 34-18. In the closing seconds of the quarter, Holmes dropped in a layup off of the assist from DeLeon, drawing an and-one foul on Boggs. He made the free throw, but a lane violation on the Wolverines negated the shot, leaving the score, 36-18, heading into the final quarter of play.
Castillo went coast-to-coast for a lay-up to open the fourth quarter and Goodman followed it up with a jumper from the left elbow off of the assist from Castillo, making the score, 40-18, with 6:29 remaining in the contest. Morton dropped in a bucket, but Castillo answered with a floater in the lane to stretch their lead to, 42-20. Mendoza banked in a three, but Castillo scored back-to-back layups for the Wolverines and Goodman followed it up with a layup off of a Morton turnover to make the score, 48-23, as the Indians took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Sanchez dropped in a put-back off of a miss by Alvarez, making the score, 50- 23, with 3:48 remaining in the game.
Xavier Ramon split a pair of free throw for the Indians, as the Wolverines went on to take the con test, 50-24.
Castillo led the team in scoring with 16 points, and was joined in double-figures scoring by Holmes, who finished with 10 points. DeLeon chipped in eight points, while Jaramillo contributed six points and Sanchez and Goodman, each finished with four points. Derrick Rosales added two points in the contest.
The Wolverines will open-district play on Friday at home against Lazbuddie.
Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.