Mustangs place second at Wildcat Classic

The Olton Mustangs’ varsity basketball team fell to the Farwell Steers on Thursday, 61-35, in the Championship Game of the 31st annual Wildcat Classic Basketball Tournament.

With the loss, the Mustangs finish tournament play with a mark of 2-1.

The Farwell Steers opened the Championship match-up on a, 130, scoring run, but with 1:38 remaining in the opening quarter, Nathan Urbina drained a three from the right elbow to get the Mustangs on the board, making the score, 13-3. With under a minute to go in the first quarter, Cesar Snyder dropped in a lay-up and then took a charge on Jake Soliz on the defensive end to regain possession for the Steers, as the first quarter came to a close.

Farwell’s Ryder McElroy opened the second frame with a put-back after a block by Jimmy Munoz, but on the other end, Alan Vasquez was fouled on the floor by Adrian Nunez, earning a onein- one opportunity at the line. He made the first shot, but missed the second, leaving the score, 17-4, with 6:36 remaining in the first half.

McElroy dropped in a reverse lay-up off of a miss from Jorge Vasquez, and followed it up with a lay-up in transition to stretch the Farwell lead to, 21-4, as Olton took a time out with six minutes to play in the first half. Out of the break, Alan Vasquez drove to the basket for a lay-up for the Mustangs, but two plays later, McElroy answered with a lay-up to make the score, 23-6.

Urbina was fouled on the floor by Alec Actkinson and converted both shots on the one-in-one opportunity at the line to trim the lead to, 23-8. Jorge Vasquez responded with a lay-up for the Steers, but Soliz answered with a transition lay-up to cut the lead to, 25-10, with 3:47 to play in the half. Actkinson buried a three from the left elbow and then hit a cutting Corey Stancell for a lay-up on the next play, pushing their lead out to, 30-10, with 3:10 remaining in the half.

With 2:49 remaining in the half, Jorge Vasquez took a charge on Urbina and on the following play, he was fouled on an attempt by Munoz, who also picked up a technical foul after the play. Jorge Vasquez made one-of-two shots at the line and Walker Williams missed both of the technical free throws, leaving the score, 31-10.

With 1:43 remaining in the half, Stancell was fouled on a put-back attempt by Soliz and converted both shots at the line to make the score, 33-10. Alan Vasquez answered with a put-back off of a blocked shot attempt by Jorge Vasquez, but in the closing seconds of the half, McElroy drove the right baseline for a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Soliz. He converted the free throw to make the score, 36-12, going into the locker room at halftime.

Alan Vasquez opened the second half with a three from the left elbow off of the assist by Urbina and Urbina followed it up with a lay-up off of a steal, as Farwell took a time out with 6:39 remaining in the third quarter and Olton trailing, 36-17. Out of the break, Actkinson answered with backto- back lay-ups for the Steers, but Andrew Martinez drained a three from the left elbow off of the assist from Sebastian Sparkman, trimming the lead to, 40-20, with 5:21 to play in the third.

Soliz dropped in a lay-up off of a steal, but Actkinson answered with a jumper from the free-throw line to extend their lead back out to, 42- 22. On the next play, Actkinson was fouled on an attempt by Munoz, who fouled out of the contest. He converted both shots at the line to push the lead out to, 44-22.

Martinez was fouled on a putback attempt by Jorge Vasquez and split the attempts at the line, but on the other end, Jorge Vasquez dropped in a lay-up off of the assist from McElroy, making the score, 46-23. With 1:28 to play in the third, McElroy was fouled on an attempt by Soliz, who picked up his fourth foul of the game. McElroy sank both free throws, stretching the Steers’ lead to, 48-23.

On the other end, Paul Lopez was fouled on an attempt by Jorge Vasquez; he sank one-of-two shots from the line, trimming the lead to, 48-24. Lopez took a charge on Adrian Nunez with under a minute to play in the quarter, and in the final seconds of the third, Sparkman dropped in a floater in the lane to trim the lead to, 48-26, going into the final quarter of play.

Stancell was given a technical foul to begin the final frame and Martinez split the free throws to make the score, 48-27. Actkinson drove to the basket for a lay-up on the other end, but on the next play, Sparkman was fouled on the floor by Walker Williams, who picked up his fourth foul of the game. Sparkman made one-of-two shots on the one-in-one opportunity, but the Steers answered, as Nunez dropped in a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Sparkman. He converted the free throw to stretch the lead to, 53-28.

Lopez dropped in a lay-up off of an assist from Soliz, but Farwell answered, as McElroy dropped in a lay-up off of an assist from Nunez to make the score, 55-30, with 5:04 to play in the contest. Lopez dropped in a lay-up, as Farwell took a time out with 4:22 to play in the game, leading, 55-32.

Olton took a time out with 3:20 to play, and out of the break, Williams was fouled on the floor by Sparkman, who picked up his fourth foul of the game. Williams made the first shot, but was called for a lane violation on the second shot, leaving the score, 56-32. Lopez split a pair of free throws after being fouled on the floor by Juarez, but the Steers responded with a lay-up from Snyder and a three from Juarez to push their lead to, 61-33.

In the closing seconds, Urbina knocked down a jumper from the right elbow, as Olton fell to Farwell, 61-35.

Urbina led the Mustangs in scoring with 12 points, while Soliz and Lopez each tallied six points and Martinez and Vasquez each added five points. Sparkman finished with one point in the contest.

The Mustangs resumed district play on Tuesday with a road game against the Sudan Hornets. Results were not available at press time. They will continue district play on Friday with a home game against New Deal.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.