The Levelland Lobos hosted the San Angelo Lakeview Chiefs for a district basketball battle this past Friday night, losing 76-63, resulting in the Lobos elimination from playoff contention.
Levelland put forth a spirited effort in the matchup, leading by one after the first, four at halftime and going into the fourth tied with Lakeview, but Lakeview would outscore Levelland 30-17 in the fourth quarter to win the game.
As a team, the Lobos shot 44% from the field compared to Lakeview’s 48%, while the Chiefs bested the Lobos 58% to 33% from the free throw line, 31-29 in rebounds and won the turnover margin by eight.
And it’s more than likely those numbers swayed in Levelland’s favor before a tough final quarter that led to the disappointing result.
Scorers for the Lobos included Kane Rice with 17 points behind five threepointers made, Anthony Gonzales with nine points, Ethan Salazar with eight points, Graham Gibbs and Bryson Golightly both with six points, Jeffrey Cisneros, Zavien Longoria and Zeke Martinez all with four points, Nehemiah Sanchez with three points and Bentley Sepulbeda with two points.
The loss drops the Lobos to 18-13 overall and 4-7 in district play, which puts them fifth in the 2A District 5 standings, officially eliminating them from the playoffs.
The Lobos are back in action early in the week against #9 ranked Lubbock Cooper Liberty for their final game of the season.