The Smyer Bobcats fell 51-41 to the visiting Sundown Roughnecks in UIL high school boys’ basketball action last Friday.
The game was tight with Smyer leading until the Roughnecks took a lead late in the third quarter and gradually began to pull away.
As is sometimes the case in a fast moving and physical game, both teams had foul trouble late. Smyer’s Ryann Gutierrez fouled out with just under a minute left in the game. By the fourth quarter Rylan Smith and Gio Garcia both had four fouls on them and Micah Zapata would get his fourth in the last period.
Sundown faired no better. Jay Martinez fouled out with 6:54 left. Branson Sanders and Caleb Clausen fouled out in the last minute within seconds of each other.
Watson Evans also had four fouls by the end of the game. Sundown was plagued by turnovers in the first quarter, but led Smyer 22-9 in steals by the end of the game. The Roughnecks also controlled the boards 43-31 over the game.
Smyer shot 26 percent while Sundown shot only 27 percent. Smyer had a 10-8 lead in the first quarter and extended the lead to 21-17 at halftime.
A trey from Zapata put them up 24-17 to start the third quarter. Smith made the score 28-20 for Smyer with a basket at the 4:56 mark but got his fourth foul shortly after that.
Back-to-back baskets from Briar Miller and Kye Powell cut the Smyer lead to 28-24 with 4:16 left in the third quarter.
Aden Escamilla hit a trey with just two minutes left in the period that cut the Smyer lead to 31- 30, then two free throws from Powell followed by a basket from Sanders and another free throw from Powell put the Roughnecks up 36-30.
A putback from Brayden Wade made the score 36-32 for Sundown as the third quarter ended.
Sundown went on a 7-1 tear over the first 2½ minutes of the fourth quarter that sealed the Bobcats’ fate.
Smith led the Bobcats with 15 points. Zapata had 11. Wade and Austin Martinez had seven each. Skyler Pond had a free throw.
For Sundown Sanders had 13 points. Powell had 10. Miller had nine. Escamilla had six. Martinez and Evans had four each. Jaxon Rodriguez had three. Edgar Mendoza had two.
The Bobcats will be in the Caprock Invitational Basketball Tournament in Lubbock December 28-30.
Sundown will be at the Littlefield Invitational Basketball Tournament on December 28-30.