Blown out in the new year

 

CENTENNIAL – It wasn’t what they had envisioned. Far from it.

Mullen went into Arapahoe on Wednesday night to open Centennial League play, resume action after the holiday break and holding a chance to level its record.

However, nothing good happened, the Mustangs got run off the floor in a 78-56 blowout loss and it looked more like a shirts-and-skins matchup at lunchtime in a recreation center than a game in a suburban loop that has been prominent for decades.

Afterward, Mullen head coach Bob Caton was blunt.

“We didn’t have the shots we wanted as a team and we didn’t make them,” he said.

No, they didn’t. The Mustangs (3-5 overall) shot only 1-of-13 in the first quarter in falling behind by 15-3. And it was nothing short of eye-opening that they trailed by only 30-20 at halftime and cut the deficit to six points three times.

But the assortment of Mullen miscues, notably turnovers, poor shot selection and ball movement, a lack of defense and failure to take advantage of a height advantage down low ultimately made it a long second half. The Warriors (8-1) quickly expanded their lead through an 11-2 run and had their lead crest at 24 points (60-36).

Mullen had no answers.

“That’s really the bottom line, we have to become better players,” Caton said. “I’ll make sure we move the ball better next time. Whatever we do, we’ve got to move it better. We’re standing around, definitely, too much.”

Junior Brayden Carter had a team-high 18 points for Mullen and sophomore Josh Lopez added 14.

Next is the home league opener against Eaglecrest on Friday, 7 p.m.

 

Mullen – Thompson 0 0-0 0, Lopez 5 3-5 14, Pohs 3 2-3 9, Heffern 3 0-0 7, Carter 6 6-8 18, Berg 1 0-0 2, Dominguez 0 0-0 0, Smith 1 1-4 3, Essex 1 0-0 3. Totals 20 12-20 56.

Arapahoe – Brophy 0 0-2 0, Pranger 2 0-0 5, Hess 7 8-12 23, Adams 2 2-2 6, Stephens 11 2-2 25, Douglas 4 1-3 9, Scheckenbach 0 0-0 0, D’Agostino 1 0-0 3, Yagey 3 1-2 7, Wilson 0 0-0 0, Kaleb 0 0-0 0, Roby 0 0-0 0. Totals 30 14-23 78.

3-pt. goals – Essex, Heffern, Lopez, Pohs; D’Agostino, Hess, Pranger, Stephens. Technical foul – Carter.