The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity basketball team lost a double overtime thriller on the road to the Levelland Lobos, 69-63.
With the loss, they fell to 6-8 overall on the year.
Chip Green opened the game with a three from the left wing off of the assist from Elijah Salazar and Jeremiah Trevino followed it up with a drive and dump to Omar Martinez, who finished the play with a lay-up to make the score, 50, with 6:22 to play in the opening quarter. Levelland took a time out and out of the break, Taeshaun Jones dropped in a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Martinez. The Lobos were called for a lane violation on the free throw leaving the score, 5-2.
Salazar answered with a drive to the basket for a lay-up, but Taeshaun Jones fired right back for the Lobos with a three from the left elbow to make it a onepossession Littlefield lead, 7-5. With 4:24 to play in the first quarter, Taeshaun Jones drew a blocking foul on Martinez earning a trip to the line. He made the first and missed the second, but Jayden Castillo was there for the offensive rebound, which led to a layup from Eryk Jones to put Levelland in front, 8-7.
Trevino responded with a layup for Littlefield, but Eryk Jones and Castillo dropped in back-toback lay-ups for the Lobos and Taeshaun Jones followed it up with a lay-up off of the assist from Neamiah Campos, drawing an andone foul on Trevino. He converted the free throw to stretch the Levelland lead to, 15-9. MJ Randle hit Salazar for a lay-up and in the closing seconds of the quarter, Q Busby drove to the basket for a lay-up, cutting the lead to, 15-13, heading into quarter number two.
Ryan Williams tied the game with a lay-up to open the second frame, and Busby took a charge on Taeshaun Jones, but the Lobos would regain possession, as Jerry Haile dropped in a lay-up and Ladarian Jordan followed it up with a floater to push their lead back out to, 19-15, with 5:47 to play in the first half.
Ryan Williams answered with a three from the left elbow off of the assist from Salazar, but Zameron Lecroy knocked down a pull-up jumper on the other end to make the score, 21-18, with 4:20 to play in the half. Konner Alexander dropped in a lay-up for the Lobos and Lecroy took a charge on Busby to give the Lobos the ball with 3:04 to play in the first half.
Jordan dropped in a floater in the lane, as Littlefield took a time out with 2:36 to play in the half. Out of the break, Zeke Saenz was fouled on an attempt by Alexander; he sank both free throws to trim the lead to, 25-20. With 1:31 left to play in the half, Jordan picked up a steal that led to a lay-up on the fast-break from Castillo, stretching their lead to, 27-20. The Wildcats would close the half strong, as Ryan Williams scored on a put-back off of the miss by Randle and in the closing seconds, Ryan Williams sent an outlet pass down court to Salazar on the break, who closed out the half with a lay-up to cut the lead to, 27-24, going into the locker room at halftime.
Ryan Williams took a charge on Taeshaun Jones to open the second half and Salazar followed it up with a pull-up jumper from the left elbow to make it a one-point game, 27-26. Ryan Williams kept the run going as he sent an outlet pass down court to Green, who finished off the break with a layup in transition to put the Wildcats back on top, 28-27.
Lecroy drove the lane for a layup, but Salazar answered with a three from the left elbow off of the assist from Ryan Williams to make it a one- possession lead for Littlefield with just under four minutes to play in the third quarter. Alexander dropped in a lay-up for the Lobos and Haile followed it up with a short jumper from the left wing, but the Wildcats would respond, as Green dropped in a floater in the lane, before they took a time out with 2:09 to play in the third.
Out of the break, Martinez was fouled on an attempt by Lecroy and made one-of-two shots at the line to give Littlefield a one-point advantage, 34-33. With under a minute to play, Haile dropped in a put-back off of a miss by Castillo and Eryk Jones drew a blocking foul on Martinez, earning a trip to the line with 4.55 seconds remaining in the quarter. He sank both free throws, putting the Lobos in front, 37-34, going into the final quarter of play.
Ja’Den Williams opened the fourth quarter with a lay-up off of the assist from Trevino, but on the other end, Taeshaun Jones was fouled on a put-back attempt by Busby; he sank one-of-two shots at the line, making the score, 3836. Haile dropped in a lay-up off of the assist from Campos, but Trevino answered with a lay-up on the other end, drawing an andone foul on Campos. He converted the free throw to make it a one-point game, 40-39.
With just over six minutes to play, Trevino dropped in a scoop lay-up on the left side to put the Wildcats in front, 41-40, and on the next play, Taeshaun Jones was called for a charge, giving him his fourth foul of the game. The Wildcats would capitalize on the turnover, as Martinez sent a pass through traffic to Ryan Williams, who dropped in a lay-up, making the score, 43-40, with 5:32 left to play.
Campos buried a three from the right side, and after a time out, Lecroy dropped in a floater from the right side, putting the Lobos in front, 45-43. With 3:48 to play, Eryk Jones was fouled on an attempt by Salazar; he converted both shots at the line to stretch the lead to 47-43. Levelland took a time out with 3:22 remaining to avoid a 10 second call, and out of the break, Green knocked down a leaner from the right wing to make it a one-possession Lobo lead, 4745.
Taeshaun Jones dropped in a put-back off of a miss by Lecroy, but Green answered with a three from the left elbow to cut the lead to one point, 49-48, with 1:43 remaining. Eryk Jones dropped in a lay-up drawing an and-one foul on Green; he sank the free throw to make the score, 52-48, as Littlefield took a time out with 1:22 remaining. Out of the break, Martinez dropped in a lay-up off of a steal in their own end and with 50.56 seconds remaining, Martinez threw a ball off of the Lobos out of bounds to give the Wildcats an extra possession.
Littlefield took a time out with 3.69 seconds remaining and out of the break, Trevino drove the left side of the basket and dropped in a floater to tie the game, 52-52, forcing overtime.
Trevino opened the overtime period with a lay-up on the left side, but Campos buried a three from the right wing to put the Lobos in front, 55-54. Lecroy was fouled on a fast-break attempt by Trevino with 2:05 to play. He sank one-of-two shots at the line, making the score, 56-54.
Ryan Williams dropped in a layup off of the assist from Busby, but Campos again answered with a three from the top of the key to make the score, 59-56. Littlefield took a time out with 1:21 remaining, and out of the break, Trevino drained a three from the left elbow to tie the game, 59-59. With under one minute remaining in overtime, Eryk Jones was fouled on the floor; he converted both shots at the line to make it a one-possession lead for the Lobos.
Ryan Williams drove the right side of the basket for a lay-up to tie the game, 61-61, sending it to double overtime.
Taeshaun Jones opened the second overtime period with a turnaround floater from the left baseline and Lecroy followed it up with a drive to the basket for a layup to stretch their lead to, 65-61, with under one minute to play. With 16.7 seconds remaining, Salazar drove the left baseline for a layup, as Littlefield took a time out, trailing, 67-63.
Out of the break, Lecroy was fouled on the floor by Salazar and sank a pair of free throws to ice the game, 69-63.
Trevino led the team in scoring with 15 points, as one of four Wildcats in double-figures. Ryan Williams and Salazar each finished with 13 points, while Green tallied 12 points. Martinez chipped in five points, while Saenz, Ja’Den Williams and Busby finished with two points.
The Wildcats will host Springlake-Earth on Tuesday, Dec. 27th to open the Wildcat Classic.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.