The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity basketball team had their home-opener on Saturday, as they opened the season with a loss to the Estacado Lady Matadors, 6544.
With the loss, the Lady Cats fall to 0-1 overall on the season.
Junior, Kyndal Edgemon, got the Lady Cats going in the first quarter with a put-back off of a miss by junior guard, Kennadi Hanlin, but the Lady Matadors quickly answered, as Mia Alvarado picked up a steal in their own end and dropped it in for a lay-up to tie the game, 2-2, with 6:35 remaining in the opening quarter. Alvarado was fouled on an attempt by Hanlin with 6:24 to play in the first; she drained both free throws to give Estacado their first lead of the game, 4-2.
Alvarado kept the run going for Estacado, as she buried a three from the right elbow, stretching their lead to, 7-2. With 5:01 left to play in the first quarter, Narriah Gomez was fouled on a drive by Marysa S., earning a trip to the free-throw line. She sank both shots from the charity stripe, but on the other end, Arianna Cruz dropped in a floater in the lane to stop the bleeding for Littlefield, making the score, 9-4.
With 4:28 remaining in the quarter, Cruz drove the right side of the basket and finished with a layup through contact to cut the lead to, 6-9, and on their next possession, Edgemon drove the lane, drawing a shooting foul on A’lireyia Mitchell. She converted both free throws to make it a onepoint game, 9-8, but Jariah Murray answered with a pull-up jumper from the right elbow and Gomez was fouled on the next play by Jazmine Barrios. She knocked down both free throws to push the lead back out to, 13-8.
With under 1:30 to play in the first quarter, the Lady Cats were called for a five-second call, as Barrios couldn’t get the ball in bounds on the sideline. Estacado capitalized on the turnover with a lay-up on the fast-break by Tiona Duvall and with under 30 seconds to play in the quarter, Zani McMurray-Sanders was fouled on a put-back attempt by Maerysa S. she missed the first attempt and on the second attempt, Kaeleigh Logan, was called for a lane violation. McMurray-Sanders converted the extra free throw attempt, stretching the lead to, 16-8, as Littlefield took a time out with 21 seconds remaining in the quarter.
Out of the break, Zykeya Hunt dropped in a lay- up off of a Littlefield turnover, but Logan answered with a lay-up on the other end to beat the buzzer, trimming the lead to, 18-10, going into quarter number two.
With 6:28 remaining in the first half, Edgemon was fouled on the floor by Kayden Sherman; she knocked down both shots on the one-in-one opportunity to make it a six-point game, 18-12. Edgemon dropped in a lay-up off of the assist from Maerysa S. to trim the lead to four points, 18-14, as Estacado took a time out with 5:19 remaining in the half.
Littlefield was called for another five-second call, after failing to get the ball into play on the inbound play, and McMurray-Sanders drew a blocking foul on Edgemon, earning a trip to the free-throw line. She made one-of-two shots at the line, extending their lead to, 19-14, with 4:21 remaining in the second quarter.
McMurray-Sanders was fouled on a put-back attempt by Barrios with 4:17 to play in the half. She made the first attempt and missed the second, but Gomez was there for the offensive rebound and the put-back, pushing the lead to, 2214. Estacado took a time out to save a turnover with 3:13 remaining in the half, and out of the break, Duvall buried a three from the left elbow to stretch their lead to, 2514.
Edgemon split a pair of free throws to stop the bleeding for the Lady Cats and Maerysa S. grabbed a steal and got the outlet pass ahead to Hanlin, who dropped in a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Ukiah Upshaw. She converted the free throw to finish off the three-point play, cutting the lead to, 25-18. With 1:28 remaining in the half, Edgemon was fouled on an attempt by Alvarado; she made one-of-two shots at the line, making the score, 25-19.
With under one minute to play in the half, McMurray-Sanders split a pair of free throws and Murray followed it up with a pullup jumper from the left elbow to close out the half with the Lady Matadors on top, 28-19.
Edgemon earned a trip to the line to open the second half, after she was fouled on an attempt by Lyfe Hamilton. She made the first shot and missed the second, but Barrios was there for the offensive rebound, as she drove the lane and kicked it out to Edgemon, who buried the three from the rigth elbow to slice the lead to 28-23, with 7:19 to play in the third quarter.
Hamilton dropped in a put-back off of her own miss and Gomez was fouled on an attempt by Cruz. She sank both free throws to push their lead back out to, 32-23. Duvall drained a three from the top of the key and Sherman followed it up with a put-back off of her own miss, drawing an and-one foul on Amiah Elizondo. She converted the free throw, extending their lead to, 3823, with 5:34 left to play in the quarter.
Hunt was fouled on a put-back attempt by Danica J. and sank both free throws, forcing the Lady Cats to call a time out to talk things over with 4:41 to play in the third. Out of the break, the Estacado defense forced a 10-second call on the Lady Cats, and they were able to capitalize, as Sherman and Alvarado scored back-to-back buckets for the Lady Matadors, stretching the lead to, 44-25.
With 1:35 remaining in the quarter, Edgemon was fouled on a defensive rebound by Sherman, earning a one-in-one opportunity at the line. She converted both free throws, but Estcado answered as Duvall drained a three from the left wing, and Addison Thomas went coast-to-coast for a lay-up, ballooning the lead out to, 49-27, with under one minute to play in the quarter.
Hanlin answered with a three from the left elbow, making the score, 49-30, heading into the final quarter of play.
Thomas opened the fourth quarter with back-to-back steals, taking them both the other way for fast-break layups to stretch their lead to, 53-30. McMurray-Sanders followed it up with a lay-up, but on the other end, Hanlin was fouled by Mitchell, who fouled out of the contest as Hanlin went to the line for two free throws. She made-one-of-two at the line, trimming the lead to, 55-31.
McMurray-Sanders knocked down a pull-up jumper from the left elbow, but on the next play, Edgemon was fouled on an attempt by Hamilton. She sank both free throws to make the score, 57-33, with just under six minutes remaining in the game. Sherman dropped in a lay-up off of an inbound play, but on the following play, Hanlin was fouled on an attempt by Duvall. She split the free throws, making the score, 59-34.
Estacado went on a, 4-0, scoring run, before Edgemon dropped in a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Hunt. She converted the free throw to trim the lead to, 6337, with just over three minutes remaining in the game. With 2:26 left to play, Hanlin was fouled on the floor by Hunt; she converted both free throws to cut the lead to, 63-39, but Hunt scored a transition lay-up, making the score, 6539.
Hanlin buried a three from the right elbow and Maerysa S. knocked down a short jumper from the left side, as the Lady Cats fell to the Lady Matadors, 65-44.
Edgemon led the team in scoring with 23 points, and she was joined in double-figures scoring by Hanlin, who tallied 13 points. Cruz chipped in four points, while Maerysa S. and Logan each contributed two points in the contest.
The Lady Cats traveled to Hale Center on Tuesday to take on the Lady Owls. Results were not available at press time. They will continue their season on Friday with a home game against Levelland.
Tip-off is scheduled for 6:15 p.m.