Wildcats move into tie for district lead with Cubs

The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity basketball team won a big home game over the Brownfield Cubs on Tuesday, 77-65, to move into a tie for first place in district 3-3A.

With the win, the Wildcats improve to 23-3 overall, 6-1 in district play.

Chip Green opened the game with a three from the right wing off of the assist from Jeremiah Trevino and on the next play, Omar Martinez was fouled on an attempt by Q Busby, earning a trip to the line. He made one-of-two shots from the line to push their lead to, 4-0. Green drained another three from the right elbow to ignite the home crowd, pushing the lead to, 7-0, with 5:52 remaining in the first half.

JoJo Carillo drew a shooting foul on Martinez, putting him on the line for two shots. He sank both free throws to get the Cubs on the board, making the score, 7-2. Ryan Williams dropped in a floater from the right elbow and followed it up with a put-back off of his own miss to make the score, 11-2, with 4:43 remaining in the opening quarter. Trevino picked up a steal and took it to the hoop, dumping it off to Ryan Williams for a lay-up, stretching the lead to, 132.

Jeron Lawrence dropped in a lay-up, as Brownfield took a time out with 4:08 to play in the first quarter, trailing the Wildcats, 134. Out of the break, George Rivera dropped in a lay-up, but Green answered with his third three of the quarter, off of an assist from Ryan Williams, pushing their lead to double-digits, 16-6.

With 3:03 to play in the first quarter, the Cubs forced a 10-second call on Littlefield, and on the next play, KJ Carroll was fouled on an attempt by Kam McCarty. He made one-of-two shots from the line, trimming the lead to, 16-7. McCarty would close out the first quarter with a runner from the left elbow to put Littlefield in front 187, as the first quarter came to a close.

Lawrence opened the second frame with a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on McCarty. He missed the free throw, trimming the lead to, 18-9, with 7:45 remaining in the first half. With 4:35 left to play in the half, Carrillo was fouled on the floor by MJ Randle; he split the free throws, but Jayden Barrio responded with back-to-back threes off of assists from Ryan Williams to push their lead back out to, 24-10.

With 3:24 remaining in the half, Green was fouled on an attempt by Rivera. He split the free throws and Carrillo answered with a three from the top of the key, trimming the lead to, 25-13. Carroll picked up a steal from Barrio and took it the other way for a fast-break layup, cutting the lead to 10 points, 25-15. Ja’Den Williams dropped in a put-back off of a miss by Trevino and Barrio followed it up with a put-back off of a miss by Ryan Williams, pushing the lead to, 2915, with just over a minute to play in the half.

Barrio pulled up for a jumper from the top of the key in transition and Green hit Ryan Williams with the touch pass in transition for a lay-up, as he drew an andone foul on Rivera, his second. Ryan Williams converted the free throw to stretch their lead to, 3415. However, Rivera beat the buzzer with a three from the right wing to cut the lead to, 34-18, going into the locker room at halftime.

Randle opened the second half with a three from the left wing off of an assist from Martinez, but Carrillo responded with a three from the left elbow and Lawrence followed it up with a fast-break lay-up off of a turnover, cutting the lead to, 37- 23. Trevino dropped in a lay-up and Martinez followed it up with a spin into the lane as he knocked down the short jumper to extend the lead back out to, 41-23, with 5:27 remaining in the third.

Ryan Williams was fouled on an attempt by Tom Triebeneck; he split the free throws and Carroll followed it up with a lay-up in transition, making the sore, 42-28, as the Cubs took a time out with the lead cut to, 42-28. Out of the break, McCarty drove to the basket dishing the ball off to Trevino for a lay-up, but Joe Anthony Mata answered with a lay-up, making the score, 44-30.

Martinez dropped in a floater from the left side off of the assist from McCarty, but Carrillo answered with a lay-up and followed it up with a three from the left elbow to cut the lead to 11 points, 46-35, with 2:14 to play in the quarter. Martinez drained a three from the left elbow off of an assist from Ja’Den Williams and McCarty went coast-to-coast for a lay-up to make the score, 51-35.

Martinez kept it going with back-to-back lay-ups in transition, but with under a minute to play Lawrence was fouled on an attempt by Ja’Den Williams. He made one-of-two shots from the line and Carrillo followed it up with a lay-up to cut the lead to, 55-38. Trevino knocked down a short jumper on the baseline, but Carrillo closed out the third quarter with a three from the right elbow, making the score, 57-40, going into the final quarter of play.

Barrio hit McCarty in transition for a lay-up to open the fourth quarter, but on the other end, Carroll drove in for a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Ryan Williams. He converted the free throw to trim the lead to, 59-43. Trevino answered with a short jumper off the glass from the left side and Ryan Williams scored a lay-up off of a steal to push their lead to, 6343, with 5:54 to play in the game.

A block by Trevino turned into a fast-break lay-up for Martinez, but the Cubs responded, as Rivera dropped in a lay-up in transition off of the outlet pass from Lawrence, as the Cubs took a time out with 4:47 left to play, trailing, 65-45. Out of the break, Carrillo was fouled on a three-point attempt by Randle. He made twoof- three from the line and Lawrence followed it up with a layup to cut the lead to, 65-50, as Littlefield took a time out with 3:59 left to play.

Out of the break, Carrillo drove to the basket, dumping the ball off to Lawrence for a lay-up, but Trevino answered on the other end, as he drew a shooting foul on Carrillo, his third. Trevino sank both shots at the line and Martinez followed it up with a lay-up to stretch their lead to, 69-52. With just over two minutes left to play, Lawrence banked in a jumper in the lane, but on the other end, Green was fouled on the floor by Carroll. He converted both free throws, pushing their lead to, 7154.

Lawrence dropped in a lay-up off of an assist from Rivera, as the Cubs took a time out with 1:36 left to play in the game. Out of the break, Green was fouled on the floor by Carrillo, who picked up his fourth foul of the game. He sank both free throws to extend their lead to, 73-56. Carrillo answered with a lay-up, but on the other end, Randle was fouled on the floor by Lawrence, putting hit on the line for free throws. Randle made one-of-two from the line and Lawrence responded with a layup, trimming the lead to, 74-60.

With under a minute to play, Martinez was fouled on the floor by Rivera and split the free throws, making the score, 75-60. Carrillo was fouled on the floor by Randle, who fouled out with 35.8 seconds to play. Carrillo converted one-of-two free throws and Martinez answered with a lay-up to make the score, 77-61. With 18.2 seconds to play Martinez was hit with a technical foul, sending Carrillo to the line to shoot free throws. He made both shots and followed it up with a lay-up, cutting the lead to, 77-65, as Littlefield held on to take down the Cubs at home.

The Wildcats were led in scoring by Martinez, who tallied 19 points, two steals, one rebound and one assist, while Green tallied 14 points, two rebounds and one assist, and Ryan Williams contributed 12 points, six assists, four rebounds and one steal. Trevino chipped in 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block, while Barrio added 10 points, six rebounds and one steal.

McCarty chipped in six points, three assists, two rebounds and one block, while Randle contributed four points and five rebounds, and Ja’Den Williams added two points, four rebounds, two assists and one block. Pratt finished with three rebounds in the contest.

The Wildcats will be back in action on Tuesday to take on Lamesa on the road, as district play continues.

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