Olton takes down Steers in thrilling fashion, 45-44
The 15 ranked Olton Mustangs’ varsity basketball team was supposed to meet the #20 Farwell Steers in a much-anticipated match-up Tuesday night. A snafu with the refs forced the game to be rescheduled.
On Thursday night, the highly anticipated match-up between the Mustangs and Steers lived up to the hype, as Mustang fans, Farwell fans and perhaps some curious onlookers packed the gym in Olton.
The 15 th ranked Mustangs won a thriller over the Steers, 45-44.
With two minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the game was tied 40- 40, until Juan Gaxiola went coast-to-coast for a lay-up to give the Steers a two-point advantage, 42-40. Jake Soliz would quickly tie the game with a jumper from the right elbow to make the score, 42-42, with 1:33 remaining in the contest.
Waldrop knocked down a jumper from the left elbow, as Farwell took a time out with 1:03 remaining in the contest, leading by two, 44-42. Out of the break, Corey Stancell was fouled on the floor by Alex Santillan, earning a one-in-one opportunity with 34.54 seconds remaining in the game. He missed the front end of the opportunity and with 15.86 left to play, Sides was fouled on the floor by Soliz, earning another one-in-one try for the Steers. He too missed the free throw, as Olton quickly called a full time out with 11.37 seconds remaining.
Out of the break, the inbound pass came into Chris Urbina, who then passed it to Soliz, who was looking to set up the final play. Chris Urbina set up on the right wing, as Soliz fired the pass to him and Chris Urbina buried the three with 3.68 seconds remaining in the game, as Farwell took a time out to talk things over with Olton now leading by one, 45-44.
Farwell got the ball in bounds, but Stancell was called for traveling as he got it across half court, turning the ball over to the Mustangs with under two seconds to play. The first inbound pass went out of bounds off of Farwell, but the Mustangs were able to get the next pass in to kill the clock and take the contest, 45-44.
It was a tight game early-on, Alex Santillan took a charge on Farwell’s Adrian Nunez to open the contest and Chris Urbina followed it up with a three from the left wing, off of the assist from Soliz to put the Mustangs up, 3-0. Adrian Nunez answered with a short turnaround jumper in the lane off of an inbound play to get the Steers on the board, but on the other end, Soliz was fouled intentionally by Stancell, earning a trip to the line. He split the free throws and Santillan followed it up with a drive and dump to Joe Canchola, who finished the play with a lay-up to stretch their lead to, 6-2, with 4:36 remaining in the opening quarter.
Canchola picked up a steal and got it to Soliz, who dropped in a floater in the lane on the other end to make the score, 8-2, with 4:15 remaining in the first quarter. Leo Nunez was fouled on an attempt by Canchola and split the free throws to trim the lead to, 8- 3. Leo Nunez followed up the play with a lay-up to cut the lead to, 8-5, with just over three minutes remaining in the quarter.
Santillan took a charge on Leo Nunez, but the Mustangs couldn’t capitalize on it, as Leo Nunez passed to Gaxiola on the two-on-one break for a lay-up to make it a one-point game, 8-7. Chris Urbina buried a three from the right wing to push their lead back out to four points, but Farwell answered, as Leo Nunez drove to the basket for a lay-up to cut the lead back down to, 11-9, with just over a minute to play in the quarter.
Chris Urbina buried his third three of the quarter from the left wing, off of the assist from Brennon Huguley and Solis scored a fast-break lay-up off of a steal to stretch their lead back out to, 16-9. However, Sides dropped in a lay-up off of an inbound play to close out the first quarter with Olton in front, 16-11.
Huguley opened the second quarter by taking a charge on Leo Nunez, but again, the Mustangs couldn’t capitalize on the turnover, as Adrian Nunez knocked down a turnaround jumper in the lane to make it a threepoint game, 16-13. Chris Urbina knocked down a jumper from the left elbow, but Waldrop responded with a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Huguley. He converted the free throw to make it a one-possession game, 18- 16, with just over four minutes to play in the half.
Chris Urbina knocked down another jumper from the elbow, but Farwell again had the answer in transition, as the Steers took a time out with 3:01 left to play in the half, trailing Olton, 20-18. Out of the break, Soliz drove the left side of the basket for a lay-up, and with just over one minute remaining in the half, Santillan was fouled on the floor by Adrian Nunez. He split the free throws to make the score, 23-18, with Olton out in front going into the locker room at halftime.
Farwell opened the second half strong with eight consecutive points from Stancell to give Farwell the lead, 26-23, as Olton took a time out to talk things over with 4:42 remaining in the third quarter. Out of the break, Huguley dropped in a lay-up off of the assist from Andrew Martinez to make it a one-point Farwell lead, 26- 25.
But, with under four minutes to play in the quarter, Stancell dropped in a lay-up off of the assist from Gaxiola in transition to push the Steers lead back out to, 28-25. Soliz went coast-to-coast for an Olton lay-up and Huguley followed it up with a jumphook in the lane, off of the assist from Chris Urbina to put the Mustangs back in front, 29-28.
Gaxiola dropped in a fast-break layup to regain the lead for Farwell as they took a time out with 1:43 remaining in the third. Out of the break, Chris Urbina buried a three from the right elbow, drawing an and-one foul on Jorge Vasquez. He converted the free throw to finish the four-point play, making the score, 32-30.
Leo Nunez used a pump fake in the right corner to get Chris Urbina in the air, as he drove past him for a lay-up to tie the game, 32-32, heading into the final quarter of play.
Both teams went back and forth in the fourth quarter leading up to an epic final four minutes that saw the Mustangs come out on top, 45-44.
Chris Urbina led the team in scoring with 19 points and was joined in double-figures scoring by Soliz, who netted 11 points. Canchola tallied six points, while Huguley added four points, Santillan added three points and Martinez finished with two points in the contest.
With the win, the Mustangs improve to 22-3 overall, 3-0 in district play with one game remaining in the first half of district play.
The Mustangs closed out the first half of district play on Friday against Bovina. Results were not available at press time. They will continue district play next Friday with a home game against Vega.
Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m.