Idalou Rallies Late to Beat Shallowater

The Mustangs came out hot in the first quarter, while Idalou struggled to get anything to fall. The Wildcats slowly found their rhythm, attacking the paint aggressively and putting Shallowater in foul trouble. But Shallowater’s Cooper Martin wasn’t fazed as he led the quarter with 11 points, boosting the Mustangs to a 9-point lead into the second, 23-14.

Both teams slowed things down in the second quarter, passing more to find open lanes in the paint. Idalou’s defense stepped up, but Shallowater kept drawing fouls. The Wildcats knocked down several free throws to tighten the scoring gap but could not take the lead before the half. Shallowater went into the locker room with a 32-26 lead.

The third quarter remained quiet, but Shallowater took advantage of some mistakes by the Wildcats, drawing plenty of fouls. The Mustangs had more trips to the free-throw line, though they only hit 3 out of 10 attempts. Despite the missed opportunities, they still managed to hold onto a 4-point lead, 43-39, heading into the final quarter.

The Wildcats ramped up their defense in the final quarter, using a lot of pick-and-roll plays to take control. They outscored Shallowater 20-6 in the 4th, with Kutter Houchin leading the way, putting up 13 points and getting to the free-throw line on multiple occasions. After trailing most of the game, Idalou pulled ahead late and held on for a 59-49 win over the Mustangs.

The Idalou Wildcats take on the Littlefield Wildcats at Muleshoe High School on Tuesday, January 14. Tip-off is set for 6:15. The Mustangs head to Muleshoe to take on the Mules at Muleshoe High School on Tuesday, January 14. Tip-off for that matchup is also at 6:15.