LADY CATS HOLD OFF FILLIES, 40-28

  • GETTING TO THE BASKET – Littlefield junior, Madison McNeese (12), gets to the rim for a lay-up, during the first half of the Lady Cats’ victory over Olton in their Wildcat Classic Tournament-opener on Monday night. (Staff Photo by Derek Lopez)
    GETTING TO THE BASKET – Littlefield junior, Madison McNeese (12), gets to the rim for a lay-up, during the first half of the Lady Cats’ victory over Olton in their Wildcat Classic Tournament-opener on Monday night. (Staff Photo by Derek Lopez)
  • KNOCKING DOWN THE THREE – Olton senior, Shaylee Leathers (22), drains a three from the left wing, during the second half of the Fillies loss to Littlefield in their tournament-opener on Monday night at the Wildcat Classic. (Staff Photo by Derek Lopez)
    KNOCKING DOWN THE THREE – Olton senior, Shaylee Leathers (22), drains a three from the left wing, during the second half of the Fillies loss to Littlefield in their tournament-opener on Monday night at the Wildcat Classic. (Staff Photo by Derek Lopez)
  • FIRING THE THREE – Littlefield’s Arianna Cruz gets puts up a three from the left elbow, during the first half of the Lady Cats’ victory over Olton in their Wildcat Classic Tournament-opener on Monday night. (Staff Photo by Derek Lopez)
    FIRING THE THREE – Littlefield’s Arianna Cruz gets puts up a three from the left elbow, during the first half of the Lady Cats’ victory over Olton in their Wildcat Classic Tournament-opener on Monday night. (Staff Photo by Derek Lopez)
  • FAST BREAK – Olton’s Kylee Noack (12) sprints down the floor for an easy lay-up on the fast-break, during the second half of the Fillies loss to Littlefield in their tournament-opener on Monday night at the Wildcat Classic. (Staff Photo by Derek Lopez)
    FAST BREAK – Olton’s Kylee Noack (12) sprints down the floor for an easy lay-up on the fast-break, during the second half of the Fillies loss to Littlefield in their tournament-opener on Monday night at the Wildcat Classic. (Staff Photo by Derek Lopez)

The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity basketball team took down the Olton Fillies in their Wildcat Classic Tournamentopener on Monday, 40-28.

Arianna Cruz opened the contest with a three from the right elbow off of the assist from Brookelyn Gau and Madison McNeese followed it up with a three from the left elbow off of the assist from Gau, making the score, 6-0, with two minutes gone in the opening quarter.

With 4:52 to play in the first, Cruz was fouled on an attempt by Shaylee Leathers. She split the free throws and Leilani Solis followed it up with a steal for a fast-break lay-up, making the score, 9-0, as Olton took a time out to talk things over with 4:29 to play in the first quarter.

Out of the break, Cruz buried a three from the left elbow off of the assist from Kennadi Hanlin and on their next possession, McNeese was fouled on an attempt by Olivia Cox. She split the free throws to extend their lead to, 13-0. With time winding down in the quarter, Kylee Noack got the Fillies on the board with a lay-up as the first quarter came to a close with the Lady Cats in front, 13-2.

McNeese dropped in a layup off of the assist from Hanlin to open the second quarter, but Makenly Smith answered with back-to-back threes from the top of the key to cut the lead to, 15-8, and Noack followed it up with a lay-up to make it a five-point Littlefield lead, 15-10. Solis stopped the run with a jumper in the lane, and the Lady Cats took a time out with 2:38 to play in the half.

Out of the break, Cruz dropped in a lay-up and Mahalia Huey followed it up with a jumper from the right wing to stretch their lead to, 21-10. With time winding down in the half, Cruz dropped in a lay-up to make the score, 23- 10, going into the locker room at halftime.

After an Olton time out with 5:13 remaining in the third quarter, McNeese drained a three from the right elbow to extend the Littlefield lead to, 26-10, but on the other end, Smith answered with a three of her own from the top of the key, making the score, 26-13, with 4:05 remaining in the quarter.

Solis banked in a jumper from the right elbow, but Noack answered with a drive to the basket for a lay-up to make the score, 28-15. Cruz dropped in a lay-up with 1:33 remaining in the quarter and the Fillies took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, with time winding down in the quarter, Leathers scored a put-back off of a miss by Noack to cut the lead to, 30-17, heading into the final quarter of play.

Leathers opened the fourth quarter with a three from the left wing, off of the assist from Emma Acker, but McNeese answered with a lay-up on the other end, drawing an and-one foul on Cox. She missed the free throw, leaving the score, 32-20. McNeese dropped in a lay-up and followed it up with a put-back off of her own miss on their next possession, as Olton took a time out with 5:37 to play and the lead stretched back out to, 36-20.

Out of the break, Acker buried a three from the left elbow and Noack followed it up with a fast-break lay-up to cut the lead to, 36-25. Gau dropped in a lay-up to stop the run, as the Lady Cats took a time out to talk things over with 2:05 remaining in the game.

With 1:08 to play, Bri Valdez was fouled on an attempt by Leathers. She split the free throws to make the score, 39- 25. With time winding down in the game, Valdez was again fouled by Leathers and again split the free throws, but in the closing seconds, Acker knocked down a three, as they fell to the Lady Cats, 40-28.

Smith led the Fillies in scoring with nine points, while Noack tallied eight points, Acker added six points and Leathers finished with five points.

The Lady Cats were led in scoring by McNeese who finished with 15 points, four rebounds and one block, while Cruz tallied 13 points, two rebounds, two steals and one assist. Solis notched six points, two rebounds and two steals, while Gau contributed two points, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals.

Huey chipped in two points, two steals and one rebound, while Valdez added two points and one rebound. Parker added six rebounds, while Barios tallied three rebound, one assist and one steal and Hanlin finished with six rebounds, two assists and two steals.