'Stangs stumble at Creek
However, growth continues.
GREENWOOD VILLAGE – It was a loss, but the outcome wasn’t nearly as important as the improvement.
Sure, Mullen dropped a 67-46 Centennial League game at Kurby Lyle Gymnasium on Saturday evening as the vaunted suburban loop began the stretch run of its home-and-away schedule, but the point was how much the Mustangs have grown, understand how they can battle and continue to make their future, both immediately and long-term, interesting.
“I’m proud of them,” Mustangs coach Frank Cawley said. “Not proud that we lost, but we’re improving.”
Class 4A Mullen is 10-7 overall, 5-3 in league and better for playing with what Cawley called “a top-four team” in 5A.
Consider – the Mustangs had opened the league season with a 57-32 home loss to the Bruins in which they were never really in the game. On Saturday, the Mustangs led into the second quarter and were able to sit a bit on Bruins junior guard Jana Van Gytenbeek, the dynamic Stanford pledge who was held to two points and had three fouls.
Point guard Megan Pohs, all-Centennial a season ago as a freshman, scored 13 of her team-high 25 points in the first half and freshman Gracie Gallegos had a lot of moments checking Van Gytenbeek, just trying to keep in front of her.
Comparing it to his team’s first outing against the Bruins, now 12-4, 7-1, Cawley said it was like night and day, and the day remains bright.
“Megan Pohs was terrific tonight and Gracie Gallegos, the job she did on Jana was unbelievable,” the coach said.
The Mustangs also had a chance to cut the Bruins’ lead to single digits in the third quarter, but Van Gytrenbeek had a rash of assists and junior Cali Clark was too much inside, going for a game-high 26 points, 16 in the second quarter, practically giving a lesson in the use of both hands around the basket.
Imani Perez, Haley Van Horn, Gallegos, Alexa Dominguez and Iliana Perez certainly banged down low for Mullen, but the 6-foot-3 Clark and five other Bruins at least 6-feet are like a skyline.
“We did great, but we won’t see any bigs like that in our (4A) tournament,” Cawley said. “There will be a few, but not that many.”
Pohs had six 3-pointers in her point total. Imani Perez added seven points and a handful of blocked shots, and Iliani Perez had six points.
The Mustangs will next be in action on Wednesday in leaue at Arapahoe, 5:30 p.m.
“We’re getting close and, hopefully, it will happen,” Cawley said of his team rejoining Colorado’s elite. “We’ll keep going.”
CHERRY CREEK 67, MULLEN 46
Mullen 18 9 12 7 – 46
Cherry Creek 13 22 18 14 – 67
Mullen – Pohs 8 3-4 25, Martinez 0 0-0 0, Gallegos 1 0-3 2, Van Horn 1 0-0 3, Im. Perez 3 1-2 7, Il. Perez 2 2-2 6, Dominguez 1 1-2 3, Oates-Stamm 0 0-0 0, Elges 0 0-0 0, Oswald 0 0-0 0, Webster 0 m0-0m0, Medina 0 0-0 0, Loukopoulus 0 0-0 0, Hart 0 0-0 0. Totals16 7-13 46.
Cherry Creek – Wrede 3 1-3 8, Sparaco 3 1-2 7, Van Gytenbeek 3 0-2 6, Clark 11 4-7 26, Kyle 6 0-1 12, Thompson 3 0-0 6, Fein-Ashley 0 0-0 0, E. Hill 0 0-0 0, N. Hill 1 0-0 2, Gordon 0 0-0 0, Totals 30 6-15 67.
3-pt. goals – Pohs 6, Van Horn; Wrede.
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