WILDCATS OPEN CLASSIC WITH WIN OVER LOCKNEY

The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity basketball team opened the Wildcat Classic with a, 71-36, victory over the Lockney Longhorns on Monday evening to move into the Winners Bracket.

Jordan Trevino hit Tyrell Norman for a lay-up to open the contest for Littlefield and on their next possession, Norman was fouled on an attempt by Jisiah Lara. He split the free throws to extend their lead to, 3-0, with 6:26 remaining in the opening quarter.

Ryan West followed it up with a lay-up, but Jonathan Cienfuegos answered with a lay-up to get the Longhorns on the board, trailing the Wildcats, 5-2. Norman responded by burying a three from the right wing off of the assist from Jordan Trevino and Chip Green kept it going with a lay-up in transition to push their lead to, 10-2, with 2:21 remaining in the first quarter.

Lockney took a time out with 2:15 to play in the quarter, and out of the break, Omar Martinez dropped in a runner in the lane to make the score, 12-2. With under one minute to play in the quarter, Austin Rodriguez was fouled on an attempt and converted both free throws to trim the lead to, 12-4. However, in the closing seconds of the quarter, Ty’Jae Chambers dropped in a put-back off of a miss by Elijah Salazar to give the Wildcats a double-digit lead, 14-4, heading into quarter number two.

Max Ramirez opened the second frame with a three from the top of the key for Lockney, but Norman answered with a put-back on the other end, off of the miss by Jaron Cabello to make the score, 16-7. West scored a lay-up off of an outlet pass and two possessions later, Cabello buried a pull-up jumper from the left elbow to extend their lead to, 20-7, with 5:14 remaining in the first half.

Austin Rodriguez dropped in a lay-up for Lockney to stop the bleeding, but Green took the outlet pass from Martinez and dropped it in for a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Rodriguez. He converted the free throw to stretch their lead to, 23-9, with just under four minutes to go in the half.

Norman was fouled on the floor by Rodriguez and split the free throws to make the score, 24-9. Chambers scored a put-back, drawing an and-one foul on Lara. He missed the free throw, leaving the score, 26-9. Salazar picked up a steal and took it down court, hitting Norman on the two-on-one break for the lay-up to extend their lead to, 28-9, with 2:41 left to play in the half.

With 2:28 left to play in the half, Rodriguez was fouled on an attempt by Jeremiah Trevino. He split the free throws and Salazar answered with a three from the left elbow, making the score, 31-10. With under a minute to play in the half, Green knocked down a three from the top of the key, off of the assist from MJ Randle, but on the other end, Nathan Hernandez was fouled on an attempt by Randle. He made one-of-two shots at the line to make the score, 34-11.

However, Randle buried a three from the right elbow at the buzzer to send the Wildcats into halftime in front of the Longhorns, 37-11.

Cabello opened the third quarter with a lay-up off of the steal and outlet pass from Jordan Trevino to stretch their lead to, 39- 11. West followed it up with a layup and Cabello kept the rally going with a lay-up off of a steal on their own end, pushing their lead to, 43-11, with 6:52 remaining in the third quarter.

Lockney took a time out with 6:50 left to play in the quarter, and out of the break, Norman grabbed a defensive rebound and hit Cabello with the outlet pass in transition for a lay-up to extend their lead to, 45-11. Ethan Garcia drained a three from the left elbow off of the assist from Jordan Trevino, but Rodriguez got the Longhorns on the board in the third quarter with a jumper from the left elbow to trim the lead to, 48-13.

Garcia hit Cabello on a cut to the basket for a lay-up, but Cienfuegos scored a put-back and followed it up with a lay-up in transition to cut the lead to, 50-17, with 3:29 remaining in the quarter. With 2:20 remaining in the quarter, Chambers scored a put-back off of a miss by Green and followed it up with a put-back off of a miss by Cabello, drawing an and-one foul on Cienfuegos. He missed the free throw, leaving the score, 54-17.

With under one minute to play in the quarter, Hernandez scored a put-back off of his own miss to make the score, 54-19, heading into the final quarter of play.

Norman went coast-to-coast for a lay-up to open the fourth quarter, but with 6:34 to play in the game, Rodriguez dropped in a layup, drawing an and-one foul on West. He converted the free throw, trimming the lead to, 56-22. Hernandez knocked down a jumper from the left wing, drawing an andone foul on Cabello. Littlefield took a time out and out of the break, Hernandez missed the free throw, making the score, 56-24.

With 5:15 remaining in the game, Barreterro buried a jumper from the right elbow, as Lockney took a time out with 5:13 to play in the game, trailing the Wildcats, 56-26. Norman dropped in a lay-up off of the assist from Garcia and Jordan Trevino dropped in a lay-up off of a steal to push their lead back out to, 60-26. Jesus Gonzales answered with a put-back, but Norman fired right back, picking up a steal in their own end and dropping it in for a lay-up to push their lead to, 62-28.

With 2:45 remaining, Gonzales knocked down a three from the right wing, off of the assist from Andrew Bustillos, trimming the lead to, 62-31. On the other end, Chambers was fouled on a putback attempt by Gonzales and split the free throws to make the score, 63-31.

Littlefield would close out the final two minutes on an, 8-5, scoring run to take their tournamentopener, 71-36.

Norman led the team in scoring with a game-high 17 points, and he was joined in double-figures scoring by Chambers, who netted 12 points, Green, who chipped in 11 points and Cabello, who finished with 10 points.

West tallied six points, while Martinez contributed four points, and Salazar, Garcia and Randle each added three points. Jordan Trevino finished with two points in the contest.

The Wildcats played Dalhart Tuesday afternoon. Results were not available at press time.