For starters, Mustangs roll Cougars

By Neil H. Devlin, Mullen Sports Information Director
First 5 score all of the team's points.
                                                                                                          Photo by John Leyba, Mullen Sports Photographer
Coach Bob Caton watched his starters score all of the team's points on Friday, top, including 17 by Brady Parris, below.
 
 
For starters, Mullen is playing very well.
As a matter of fact, Mullen’s first five scored all of its points in a 74-60 home decision of Cherokee Trail on Friday night in the Centennial League.
“That’s a good sign,” Mustangs head coach Bob Caton said.
In delighting the crowd at Hutchison Fieldhouse, the Mustangs also improved to 13-6 overall, 6-4 in league, and those numbers are impressive, too. Mullen not only assured itself of its first winning season since going 17-9 in 2007-08, but the Mustangs are one victory away from matching their best league showing in 11 seasons.
But there are four league games to go to complete the regular season, and with league-leading Grandview losing to Smoky Hill on Friday, the Mustangs are just two games behind those two programs and one off from third-place Eaglecrest, which will visit the Mustangs on Wednesday (7 p.m.).
“It’s going to be interesting down the stretch,” Caton said.
As for Friday, the Mustangs grabbed the lead for good in the second quarter and held it, although the Cougars (6-13, 1-9) certainly stayed in the chase.
Ultimately, it was the balance offered by the Mustangs starters. Junior Isaac White continued to emerge with a team-high 18 points, 10 in the fourth quarter. Christian Davis and Isaac Ondekane each scored 14. Matt Veen scored 11. But perhaps the biggest contribution came from senior point guard Brady Parris, who deposited a season-high 17 points on a night when fellow starter Vaughnn Stitt was in California visiting a junior college.
“it was fun,” said Parris, who had been averaging about 6 points per outing. “I just found my rhythm early in the first half after missing two free throws. I made that first (3-pointer) and when I make one, I feel I can make a lot of them.”
Parris had been looking for opportunities to increase his scoring, he said, because opponents “are starting to hone in on some guys and I think it’s my time to step up.”
Said Caton: “It was Brady’s best night.”
Six of Parris’ points came in the fourth quarter to aid the late effort of White, who has 68 points over the past three games. Ondekane added 17 rebounds – he has 26 over the past two – and Veen added five.
“We played well and we hope to keep going,” Caton said.
After Eaglecrest, the Mustangs also will host Grandview and Smoky Hill, then finish at Overland, th defending Centennial champion.
It’s all in front of Mullen if it wants it.
“I think this second round (of home-and-away in league) is really going to tell us a lot about how we can battle these last four teams,” Parris said. “I think they’re the best of the best in the state and will really show our character going into the (Class 5A state) tournament.”
 
MULLEN 74, CHEROKEE TRAIL 60
Cherokee Trail  20  11  18  11  –  60
Mullen  18  19  20  17  --  74   
Cherokee Trail – Deaderick 1 0-0 2, Sanders 5 3-4 13, Robinson 3 0-0 9, Jordan 1 1-2 3, Tesfaye 4 10-10 18, Toledo 6 0-0 12 , K. Townsie 0 0-0 0, B. Townsie 1 0-0 3, Massey 0 0-0 0, Roberts 0 0-0 0, Vincent 0 0-1 0.Totals 21 14-17 60.
Mullen – Davis 5 0-0 14, Veen 5 1-2 11, White 5 7-8 18, Parris 5 3-6 17, Ondekane 6 2-7 14, Riepma 0 0-0 0, Beckish 0 0-0 0, Lopez 0 0-1 0, Tekle 0 0-0 0, Carter 0 0-0 0, Berg 0 0-0 0. Totals 26 13-24 74.
3-pt. goals – Robinson 3, B. Townsie; Davis 4, Parris 4, White.
 
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