Rough finish

By Neil H. Devlin, Mullen SPorts Informaton Director
Mustangs get handled by Overland in regular-season finale.
Photo by John Leyba, Mullen Sports Photographer
A bottled-up and frustrated Mullen didn't finish the regular season the way it wanted, but the Class 5A state playoffs await. The bracket will be announced on Sunday.
 
 
AURORA – The effort was as murky and confusing as their playoff certainties.
A feisty Overland rolled Mullen 74-55 in the Centennial League on Friday night, an effort the Mustangs probably want to forget with the postseason becoming official on Sunday with the release of the Class 5A playoff bracket.
The thing was, the Mustangs were coming off their best victory of the season, 76-74 at the buzzer over Smoky Hill at home on Wednesday.
However, as Mullen head coach Bob Caton said afterward, “there was no carryover.”
In fact, there wasn’t much of anything good. The Mustangs fell behind early and often, had no answer for Trailblazers junior Graham Ike, who scored 21 of his game-high 29 points in the first half, and turned exhausted while trying to play catch-up. And while the Mustangs cut the Overland lead to 10 points with about a half-quarter to play, they got no closer..
However, Mullen completed the regular season 14-9 overall, 7-7 in league. It’s the most victories in a season for the program since winning 17 in 2007-08 and the .500 league mark matches the 2009-10 finish.
Still, it wasn’t what Caton and his staff were seeking on the verge of the postseason..
“We didn’t come to play,” he said. “We didn’t rebound, didn’t defend and you can’t do that against a team like (Overland, 17-6, 10-4).”
Junior Isaac White again led the Mustangs, going for 19 points. He was the only Mustang in double figures. Isaac Ondekane, Vaughnn Stitt and Matt Veen each added eight as Mullen matched its fourth-lowest offensive point total of the season.
In addition, Mullen awaits its postseason spot that includes a guessing game. The Mustangs were 17thcoming into Friday. If they stay there or drop a bit, they will host a first-round game on Wednesday. If they make 16, they’ll get a bye, then host a game later in the week.
“This was tough, but we’re not done,” Caton said.
 
OVERLAND 74, MULLEN 55
Mullen  8  15  10  22  --  55
Overland  16  19  15  24  -- 74
Mullen – Davis 3 0-1 6, Veen 4 0-0 8, White 7 4-6 19, Parris 2 1-2 6, Riepma 0 0-0 0, Ondekane 4 0-4 8, Stitt 2 3-4 8, Beckish 0 0-0 0, Thompson 0 0-0 0, Berg 0 0-0 0, Dominguez 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 8-17 55.
Overland – Deden 0 2-2 2, Swanson 3 6-6 13, Rice 3 1-3 8, Pena-Avila 0 1-2 1, Ike 13 3-3 29, Chaney 1 0-0 3, Coney 1 0-0 2, Adams 3 2-2 9, Editone 0 2-2 2, Cuasito 0 1-2 1, Thrower 1 0-0 2. Totals 26 18-22 76.
3-pt. goals: Parris, Stitt, White; Adams, Chaney, Rice, Swanson.
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