‘Stangs hold off Levelland, 61-60

After a five-day break due to the bad weather in the area, the Sweetwater boys basketball team Thursday resumed its pursuit of a trip to the playoffs by playing an almost must-win contest against Levelland at home.

Then the team passed its first test in a critical twoday period toward reaching its goal. Thursday’s 61-60 win over the Lobos — the Mustangs’ second in a row following a distastrous 0-4 start in district play — improved Sweetwater to 2-4 while Levelland fell to 3-3.

The second test came Friday, as the Mustangs were scheduled to make the short trip to Snyder (5-1) to play another key game.

Sweetwater — 19-10 for the season — started slowly as Levelland took a 7-0 lead to begin the game. But Malik Brown led an 8-0 run to give the Mustangs a 10-9 edge until the Lobos got the lead back to end the period.

Levelland built its lead to six (18-12) in the second period but another 8-0 run by Sweetwater again put the Mustangs ahead, 20-18.

The Lobos went up 27-26 with five seconds left in the half but then fouled Sweetwater’s Korda Moore just before the buzzer and his free throw tied it at 27 at intermission.

Then five 3-pointers to start the third period put the Mustangs in charge as they opened a double-digit lead which they kept into the first minute of the final stanza. But the Lobos made one more serious run, retaking the lead at 56-55 with 2:40 to play on a 3-pointer.

However, Tate Thompson converted a 3-point play and after Levelland tied it at 58, the Mustangs scored what proved to be the winning points on three free throws by Moore that came with 1:19 left in the game.

Levelland cut the lead to 61-60 with 30.2 left after a steal, then put Sweetwater in the bonus with 8.4 to play. A missed free throw gave the Lobos a final shot as the buzzer sounded. It fell short as Sweetwater held on — barely — to win a crowd-pleasing thriller.

Brown scored 22 points and Moore had 20 for the Mustangs, just a win short of the first 20-win season in over 25 years. Also scoring were Stason Hernandez (eight points), Thompson (five points), Damarrius Walker (four points) and Jadyn Forbes (two points).

Levelland girls 59, Sweetwater girls 9

Levelland, sixth-ranked in Class 4A, scored the first nine points of the game and had 10 players make it into the scoring column, while retaining a one-game lead in the District 5-4A standings over Lubbock Estacado with two games left to play.

Levelland also limited the Lady Mustangs to a threepointer and three two-point baskets in the game.

Jenika Fuentes, who hit Sweetwater’s 3-pointer, led the Lady Mustangs (2-6 in district) with five points while Trinity McGee and Aunisti Griffin had two.

Thursday’s loss left the Lady Mustangs (13-18 overall) in a tie for fourth place in district with Big Spring, a 61-31 loser to Snyder, entering their game at Snyder.