Brownfield Cub Coach Dustin Faught prepares to talk to his team during a timeout. The Cubs defeated Shallowater 66-58 for their first District 2-3A win of the year.

The Brownfield Cubs got right back into the thick of the District 2-3A basketball race with a 66-58 win over the Shallowater Mustangs last Friday night at Brownfield High School.

The Cubs are 1-2 for the year, just two games behind Estacado and one game behind second-place Cooper. The face both teams this week in district action.

After holding just a 19-18 lead over the Mustangs at the end of the first quarter, Coach Dustin Faught made some adjustments that allowed the Cubs to take a 37-28 halftime lead.

“In the first quarter I thought our defense looked good, but we were giving up some rebound put-backs inside and allowing them to score that way,” Faught said. “After that we made some adjustments and tried to keep their big man off the boards. We did a good job at that. Also, instead of giving them multiple shots on one possession we wanted to hold them to just one shot.”

From there the Cubs simply held the Mustangs at arm’s length to pick up the win.

“Offensively I thought we did a better job pushing the ball in transition for the rest of the game,” he said. “We were a lot more efficient with our offense, and our shot selection was a lot better. We also did a good job of being aggressive and getting to the rim and getting to the free throw line. I thought those things helped push our lead a little bit.”

Faught said the Cubs are confident they can make a push for the playoffs.

“I think we still have a realistic shot at the playoffs,” he said. “It would help a lot if we beat Cooper. This is a long race, it’s not a sprint, and we’re right there in the mix, especially with the ability we have to go on a winning streak.

“Last year we went 4-1 in the first round of district. Then we went 1-4 in the second round. This year it seems to be just the opposite. We’re in good shape, especially with the way the other teams are beating each other.”

Hill led the Cubs in scoring with 23 points, followed by Korey Nolan with ten, Steffon Smith with nine and Ryan Caballero with seven.

The Cubs host Cooper Tuesday night at 8 p.m. and Estacado Friday at 8 p.m. Catch both broadcasts on KKUB 1300 AM and at www.cubsportsradio.com.