1-20 Winter Roundup
Boys hoops halts skid against Creek; girls hoops falls in league opener; ice hockey loses to Kent Denver.
They had a short bench because of injury and sickness, they were on a three-game losing streak and facing Colorado’s largest school that had beaten them 22 times in their past 23 meetings.
So what happened?
Mullen’s Mustangs may have turned in their best outing in 2022-23, beating Cherry Creek 74-69 on Friday night in a Centennial league opener at a boisterous Hutchison Fieldhouse.
The victory leveled their overall record at 7-7 and may have had their lightbulbs turned on brightly – if they play together, they can probably play with any team in the new Class 6A.
“I think that was the first game this season we played four quarters,” junior guard Anderson Brendle said. “Previously, we played two quarters or three quarters … but the steals were big, the rebounds were big and we just played well as a team.”
Said senior Ish Aceves, noting Cherry Creek had beaten two teams to date this season in which the Mustangs suffered losses: “If we work more as a team, we can beat the good teams.”
Trailing 30-26 at halftime, Mullen took command with a 25-18 edge in the third quarter, highlighted by Brendle’s 13 points, notably canning five straight shots. While the Mustangs also had to fight through some turnover and free-throw issues down the stretch, they survived the Bruins’ final surge that got them within 68-67 in the closing moments.
Sophomore Thomas Stewart dropped 5-of-6 free throws to seal it.
All told, junior Jordan Leslie led the Mustangs with 25 pointsm, including 13-of-17 free throws. Brendle added 22 with four 3-pointers and Aceves added 19, mostly inside against the taller, beefier Bruins.
“I don’t really back down from size, it was a good matchup,” Aceves said. “It was fun.”
Head coach Jordan Leslie had only six players see action and was thrilled with avictory in te loop opener.
“We need to keep going,” he said.
The Mustangs will resume league play on Thursday, Jan. 26, at Grandview in Aurora, 7 p.m.
MULLEN 74, CHERRY CREEK 69
Cherry Creek 14 16 18 21 -- 69
Mullen 16 10 25 23 -- 74
Mullen -- Leslie 6 13-17 25, Brendle 7 4-5 22, Stewart 0 5-6 5, Jones 1 0-0 3, Aceves 7 5-9 19, Castillo 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 27-37 74.
3-pt. goals – Brendle 4, Jones.
Girls Basketball
At The Hutch, the Mustangs dropped their league opener to the Bruins.
The four-time-defending Colorado champions are 6-8 overall and have lost five games in succession.
Mullen led early, but had Cherry Creek, ranked No. 3 in 6A, turn it around with a 22-6 binge over the second quarter. The Mustangs made only 2-of-10 shots over the span.
While they survived a 3-of-12 shooting performance in the third quarter, the Mustangs were able to climb back into it down the stretch, twice getting within six points with opportunities to cut it closer, but the Bruins made enough plays to protect.
Junior Allison Schwertner again led Mullen with a game-high 18 points. Sofia Zienkewicz battled inside and contributed five points. Zarajyi Garcia, Ryker Thomas, McKenzie Wood and Annie Johnson also offered help at key times.
The Mustangs will be back at it on Thursday, Jan. 26, at three-time-defending big-school champion Grandview in Aurora, 7 p.m.
CHERRY CREEK 55, MULLEN 49
Cherry Creek 13 22 11 9 -- 55
Mullen 15 6 12 16 -- 49
Mullen – Zar. Garcia 3 1-1 8, Arangua-Egbert 0 2-2 2, Zienkewicz 2 1-4 5, Schwertner 5 7-8 18, Wood 2 2-2 6, Thomas 2 0-0 4, Johnson 2 0-0 6, Pelster 0 0-0 0, Mylott 0 0-0 0, Archibald 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 13-17 49.
3-pt.goals – Johnson 2, Schwertner, Zar. Garcia.
Ice Hockey
At the University of Denver, the Mustangs lost to host Kent Denver 4-2 in the 4A North.
Mullen is 2-9 overall, 1-4 in the division.
Ciaran Dooley and Josh Fisher scored goals for the Mustangs.
In a back-to-back, the Mustangs will host Crested Butte on Saturday, Jan. 21, at The Edge, 8:30 p.m.
© 2024 Mullen High School. All Rights Reserved.