Mustangs rebound, down Arapahoe
Mullen beats Warriors 55-47.
It came with both good and bad, and it made them sweat a bit late as well as turn somewhat anxious, but Mullen’s Mustangs will take the victory, thank you.
On Saturday afternoon, the Mustangs ultimately fended off an always game Arapahoe to win 55-47 at Hutchison Fieldhouse. In improving to 6-5 overall and leveling its Centennial League mark at 1-1, the Mustangs probably won it with their first-half surge, although their ability to protect late while experiencing difficulties also loomed large.
“It’s a big win,” head coach Frank Cawley said. “That’s a good win and we needed it for the RPI (playoff seeding). We panicked a little bit, but we did better than we had done in the (Phoenix tournament before Christmas).”
In rolling to a 35-22 halftime lead, Mullen was very warm from the perimeter, canning 9-of-14 shots from 3-point range, four each by sophomore guards Elaina Martinez and Megan Pohs. Haley Van Horn added another. However, Arapahoe (3-7, 0-2) stayed within range in the third quarter, then made a move over the final 8 minutes.
“Jerry’s team,” Cawley said of coach Knafelc’s Warriors, “is always good and when he stacked their shooters on the one side, that showed how good they can be.”
The Warriors twice got within six points in the closing minutes and some of it was aided by shoddy play by the Mustangs, who suffered a rash of turnovers and were just 5-of-11 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.
But steady play by freshmen Imani Perez and Gracie Gallegos helped to seal it. Perez backed up Pohs (17 points) and Martinez (13) with 12 points, nine rebounds and six blocked shots, and Gallegos scored all six of her points in the final quarter, including a big 3-pointer from the left corner that halted the Warriors’ momentum.
“We all passed the ball real well, got it in and out, and found open shots,” Perez said. While the 6-foot-2 freshman, who is catching a lot of eyes with her regular inside play, admitted that playing at this level “is definitely new for me, but it’s going to be good. We’ve really improved.”
Van Horn, a sophomore, continued to contribute inside play and defense along with five points, and another sophomore, Alexa Dominguez, provided a noticeable spark off the bench with seven rebounds, getting to loose balls and increasing the tempo on the defensive end.
“Alexa can basically play any position and she’s a coach’s dream,” Cawley said. “Amani played well and so did so many of the other girls.”
On a day in which the Mustangs saluted their most-recent state-championship team, the 2005-06 group that beat Regis Jesuit 37-36 at the University of Colorado’s Coors Events Center in Boulder, they made 11 3-pointers in getting past Thursday’s home blowout loss against Cherry Creek.
“I’m proud of how our kids handled it,” Cawley said. “We need to work on our press and our free throws, but you know what – it’s a win.”
Mullen next four games, all in league, will be on the road, basically two per week the rest of the regular season. On Wednesday, Jan. 9, the Mustangs will be at Cherokee Trail in Aurora, followed by Saturday, Jan. 12, at Eaglecrest in Centennial. Tip-offs are scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
MULLEN 55, ARAPAHOE 47
Arapahoe 14 8 8 17 -- 47
Mullen 18 17 10 10 -- 55
Arapahoe – March 4 2-3 12, Smahelova 2 2-2 6, Wortman 1 2-5 4, McClarie 2 2-4 8, Crispe 0 3-6 3, Edwards 1 0-0 2, Cadorette 1 2-4 5, Delaney 3 1-1 7, Shaw 0 0-0 0, Golden 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 14-27 47.
Mullen – Pohs 5 2-2 17, Martinez 4 1-2 13, Gallegos 1 3-5 6, Van Horn 2 0-0 5, Im. Perez 5 2-6 12, Il. Perez 1 0-0 2, Dominguez 0 0-0 0, Oswald 0 0-0 0, Loukopoulos 0 0-0 0, Hart 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 8-15 55.
3-pt. goals – March 2, McClarie 2, Cadorette; Pohs 5, Martinez 4, Gallegos, Van Horn.
© 2020 Mullen High School. All Rights Reserved.