The Springlake-Earth Wolverines’ varsity basketball team closed out the Wildcat Classic on Wednesday with a victory over the Dalhart Wolves, 51-46, at Wildcat Gym in Littlefield.
With the win, the Wolverines finish tournament play, 1-2.
Evan DeLeon was fouled on an attempt by Devin Rutherford and converted both free throws to give the Wolverines an early twopoint advantage, but Dalhart answered, as Rutherford heaved a long pass to Gatlin McGaugh for a lay-up to tie the game, 2-2. JJ Jaramillo knocked down a jumper in the lane, off of the assist from Kaden Castillo, but Dalhart again answered, as Rutherford buried a three from the left wing to give the Wolves their first lead of the game, 5-4.
With 3:43 remaining in the opening quarter, Castillo knocked down a jumper in the lane, off of the assist from DeLeon, to make the score, 6-5, in favor of the Wolverines, as Dalhart took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, McGaugh drained a three from the left wing, but with under one minute remaining in the quarter, Castillo sank a three from the left wing, off of the assist from DeLeon, making the score, 9-8.
However, with time winding down in the quarter, Michael Trujillo buried a three from the left elbow to put Dalhart on top, 11-9, heading into quarter number two.
Kyler Read and Corbin Carnesecca drained back-to-back threes to open the second quarter and McGaugh was fouled on an attempt by DeLeon, earning a trip to the line. He converted both shots to stretch their lead to, 19-9. With just under five minutes to play in the first half, Castillo knocked down a jumper from the left elbow, off of the assist from Josh Samaron, but Dalhart quickly answered, as Trujillo dropped in a tear-drop in the lane to make the score, 21-11.
McGaugh scored a lay-up in transition off of the assist from Alex Chacon, as Springlake-Earth took a time out to talk things over, and out of the break, DeLeon drained a three from the right elbow off of the assist from Alvarez and on their next possession, Castillo tipped a ball out to DeLeon on the right elbow, who buried the three to slice the lead to, 23-17, with 3:10 remaining in the first half.
Trujillo scored a put-back off of a miss by Chacon and Carnesecca split a pair of free throws, pushing their lead back out to, 26-17. With time winding down in the half, Alvarez split a pair of free throws and Keshan Holmes converted a pair to trim the lead to, 26-20, going into the locker room at halftime.
Trujillo opened the third quarter with a lay-up, and Ricardo Chaparro followed it up with a layup, off of the assist from Rutherford to stretch their lead to doubledigits, 30-20. Chaparro and Kyler Read scored back-to-back lay-ups, before DeLeon picked up a steal and went coast-to-coast for a layup to get the Wolverines on the board in the second half.
DeLeon followed it up with a three from the right elbow and Dalhart’s bench was called for a technical foul, sending DeLeon to the line for a pair of free throws. He made one of two shots from the line to trim the lead to, 32-26, with 3:35 remaining in the third quarter.
Rutherford took a charge on DeLeon, but they couldn’t capitalize, as the Wolverines got the ball back on a steal by DeLeon, who got into the paint for a floater in the lane to make the score, 32-28. With 2:25 left to play in the quarter, Trujillo was fouled on an attempt by Holmes; he made both shots at the line, but Jaramillo answered with a runner in the lane to make it a fourpoint Dalhart lead.
Jaramillo followed it up by burying a three from the left elbow off of the assist from DeLeon to make it a one-point game, 34-33, as Dalhart took a time out with 1:34 to play in the third quarter. Out of the break, Rutherford hit Trujillo on a backdoor cut for a lay-up, but with time winding down in the quarter, DeLeon buried a three from the left wing, off of the assist from Holmes to tie the game, 36-36, heading into the final quarter of play.
Trujillo opened the fourth quarter with a lay-up off of the inbound pass from McGaugh, but Jaramillo answered with a put-back off of a miss by DeLeon to keep the game tied, 38-38. With 5:22 remaining, DeLeon sent a long inbound pass down court to Goodman, who dropped in a quick lay-up to give the Wolverines the lead, 40-38. DeLeon followed it up with a three from the right wing, off of a steal and assist by Jaramillo to extend their lead to, 43-38, as Dalhart took a time out to talk things over.
Out of the break, Holmes dropped in a lay-up, but Andrew Berngen answered with a lay-up off of an assist from Carnesecca, trimming the lead back down to, 45-40. Castillo dropped in a lay-up in transition and Holmes took the ball strong to the basket for a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Berngen. The free throw was no good, leaving the score, 49-40.
Trujillo used a spin move to get to the basket for a lay-up and McGaugh converted a pair of free throws to make it a five-point game with 1:26 to play. Chacon dropped in a lay-up off of a steal to cut the lead to three points, 49-46, but with time winding down in the quarter, DeLeon was fouled and converted a pair of free throws to ice the game for the Wolverines, 51-46.
DeLeon led the team in scoring with a game-high 24 points, while, Jaramillo and Castillo each tallied nine points, and Holmes added five points. Goodman and Alvarez each finished with two points in the contest.
The Wolverines returned to district play on Tuesday with a home game against Hart. Results were not available at press time. They will be at Anton on Friday as district play continues.
Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m.