Wolverines fall to Wildorado in Bi-district

The Springlake-Earth Wolverines’ varsity basketball team had their season come to an end on Tuesday night at Canyon Randall High School, as they fell to the Wildorado Mustangs, 48-42.

Alex Alvarez picked up a steal and went coast-to-coast finishing with a lay-up through contact at the basket to put the Wolverines in front, 2-0. Reese McElroy answered with a jumper from the right elbow to tie the game, and Swayde Cleavinger dropped in a lay-up off of the inbound pass from Braddek Darnell to put the Mustangs in front, 4-2, with 5:41 remaining in the opening quarter.

JJ Jaramillo quickly tied the game with a lay-up, but on the other end, McElroy was fouled on an attempt by Alvarez earning a trip to the line. He converted both free throws to regain the lead for the Mustangs, 6-4. Darnell split a pair of free throws to extend their lead to, 7-4.

Alvarez drove the middle for a lay-up, but Hunter Corman answered with a three from the left wing for the Mustangs to extend their lead to, 10-6, with just under two minutes to play in the first quarter. Isaiah Tovar banked in a floater from the right side to cut the lead to, 10-8, as the first quarter came to a close.

Cleavinger dropped in a putback off of his own miss, but Tovar answered with a lay-up off of the inbound pass from Jaramillo and Kaleb Castillo hit a cutting Jaramillo for a lay-up on the right side to knot things up, 12-12, with 5:49 remaining in the first half. Jaramillo kept it going as he dropped in a floater through contact on the right baseline, putting the Wolverines in front, 14-12, as Wildorado took a time out with 5:01 to play in the half.

Out of the break, Castillo drove the left side for a lay-up and Jaramillo banked in a runner from the right side, before Peyton Smith answered with a lay-up off of the assist from Darnell, making the score, 18-14, with 3:04 to play in the half. With just over one minute remaining in the second quarter, Castillo was fouled on an attempt by Cleavinger. He split the attempts at the line to stretch their lead to, 19-14. With time winding down in the quarter, though, Wesley Martin drove the right side for a lay-up to trim the Wolverine lead to, 19-16, going into the locker room at halftime.

Wildorado opened the second half on a, 5-0, scoring run to take a, 20-19, lead with 5:49 remaining in the third quarter. Jaramillo pulled up for a three from the left elbow and followed it up with a turnaround floater off the glass from the right elbow to push the Springlake-Earth lead to, 24-21. The Mustangs knocked down back-to-back buckets to take a one-point advantage, 25-24, but Jaramillo answered with a deep three from the right elbow to put the Wolverines back in front, 2725, with 2:10 to play in the third quarter.

Trey Matthews knocked down a three from the left wing off of the assist from McElroy, but Jaramillo answered, going coast-to-coast for a floater off of the glass to make the score, 29- 28, in favor of Springlake-Earth. Matthews and Froyland Agundiz exchanged threes, but Cleavinger buried a three from the left wing for the Mustangs to close out the third quarter with Wildorado in front, 34-32.

Darnell opened the final frame with back-to-back threes from the right side, as Springlake-Earth took a time out with seven minutes to play in the game. Wildorado called a time out to talk things over with 5:28 to play and out of the break, Alvarez dropped in a lay-up off of an assist from Tovar and Jaramillo followed it up with a jumper from the left elbow to cut the lead to, 40-36, with just over four minutes remaining.

Springlake-Earth took a time out with 3:29 left to play, and out of the break, Wildorado went on a, 60, scoring run to extend their lead to 46-36, but with 1:31 remaining, Alvarez was fouled on an attempt by Cleavinger and split the free throws to trim the lead to, 46-37. Wildorado took a time out with 1:21 remaining, and out of the break, Jaramillo picked up a steal and sent the outlet pass down court to Agundiz for a fast-break lay-up to cut the lead to, 46-39, with just over a minute to play in the game.

After a jumpball went to Springlake-Earth, Jaramillo was fouled on the floor and sank both free throws to make it a five-point game, 46-41. Alvarez split a pair of free throws to make it a four-point game, but with time winding down in the game, Corman was fouled on the floor by Castillo and sank both free throws to ice the game for Wildorado, 48-42.

Jaramillo led the team in scoring with 22 points, while Alvarez tallied eight points and Agundiz chipped in five points. Tovar contributed four points, while Castillo finished with three points in the contest.