Lady Mules vs. Dimmitt & Littlefield (1-13&16-2015)

Lady Mules vs. Dimmitt & Littlefield (1-13&16-2015)

When the UIL drew up the District 2-3A schedule they did not do the young Lady Mules any favors. The Lady Mules had to take on what many consider to be the top three teams in the district in the first three games.

The Lady Mules hosted the Dimmitt Bobbies Tuesday night and then traveled to Littlefield to battle the always tough Lady Cats. The Lady Mules continued to battle the Bobbies and Sadie Sudduth hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Lady Mules a 32-30 lead. 

Dimmitt battled back in the final period to defeat the Lady Mules 48-44.

“What a great effort from our kids,” said Lady Mule coach Carey Sudduth. “Dimmitt is a very good team that causes lots of problems with their quickness in some spots and size in others.”

“We gave ourselves every opportunity to win that game. Winning is something you have to learn how to do. We are learning every game and every time we get in that situation we will be better for it.”

“Tonight the free throw line killed us. What is frustrating is that, for the year, that has been something we have been done pretty well. Dimmitt is one of the best AAA teams in this area and we just have to learn how to play a complete game.”

Littlefield plays a rough and tumble style of ball. The officials allowed the hand and body checks and the Lady Mules could not match up. The Cats took the night 44-35.

Sydnie Sudduth opened the game against the Bobbies with one of two free throws. Shanice Rosas snatched up an offensive rebound and put it up and in. Conley Niblett drove the paint for a basket and Reagan Reynolds nailed a trey from the top of the key. The Lady Mules trailed 13-8 after one quarter.

The Lady Mules only made four-of-six free throw attempts in the second period. Niblett was fouled while shooting and made one free throw. Dani Diaz and Angie Perez made a 3-pointer each.

Rosas made one-of-two free throws. Later she took a pass from Perez and scored from the blocks. Niblett made two free throws before the half ended with the Lady Mules trailing 27-20.

The Lady Mule defense held Dimmitt to just three points in the third quarter. D. Diaz and Sy. Sudduth sank a trey each after Niblett started the period by driving the lane for a hoop. She tied the game at 29-29 with a charity toss before Sa. Sudduth sank the 3-point buzzer beater. The Lady Mules led 32-30 going into the final period.

The Lady Mule woes at the charity line continued in the final period and they made three-of-10 from the line. Sy. Sudduth made one from the line to start the final period. She later scored a basket. Sa. Sudduth nailed a trey and later made a free throw. Rosas and Niblett made a hoop each.

Niblett led the Lady Mules with 11 points. Rosas, Sy. and Sa. Sudduth finished with seven points each. D. Diaz made two treys for six points. Reynolds and Perez made a trey each for three points apiece.

Neither Littlefield or the Lady Mules could score in the first two minutes. Niblett grabbed a rebound and drove the floor for a lay up to open the game. Sa. Sudduth did the same on the next trip down the floor.

Niblett drove the paint for a basket and the Lady Mules trailed the Cats 7-6 after one period.

The Cats big girl began to shove her way to the hoop in the second period and led Littlefield to an 18-12 lead at the intermission.

The Lady Mule defense held the Cats to six points in the third period. Yvonne Diaz used her quickness and scored inside the paint to start the third quarter. Sa. Sudduth made a pair from the charity line and dropped in trey from the top of the key. Sy. Sudduth took a pass from her sister and drove the lane for a basket. The Lady Mules had cut the Littlefield lead to 24-21.

Twelve of the Lady Mules’ last period points came from the free throw line as they knocked down 12-of-14 attempts. Niblett made one from the line to start the final frame. And Rosas followed suit with one-of-two charity tosses. Sa. and Sy. Sudduth were four-for-four from the line and Sa. chipped in the Lady Mules only basket. 

The Lady Mules were 16-of-20 from the line for 80 per cent free throw shooting.

Sa. Sudduth led the Lady Mules with 13 points. Niblett finished with eight points and Sy. Sudduth scored seven points. Y. Diaz added four points, D. Diaz dropped in two and Rosas chipped in one.

The 0-3 Lady Mules traveled to Friona Tuesday to meet the 0-3 Squaws. Friday the Lady Mules will wrap up the first round of district when they host the Tulia Hornets.