Van Horn paces 'Stangs on the road

By Neil H. Devlin, Mullen Sports Information Director
Junior scores season-high 14 and defends well in 69-50 league victory at Cherokee Trail.

AURORA -- She doesn’t talk about herself much, but Haley Van Horn offered a lot to discuss on Wednesday night.

The Mullen junior probably turned in her best game as a Mustang at the front of 69-50 victory at Cherokee Trail in the Centennial League.

As the defending Class 4A Colorado champion Mustangs improved to 10-4 overall, 4-1 in the loop, Van Horn came alive offensively and turned in her usual defensive effort. She scored 14 points, including four 3-pointers, and kept Cherokee Trail’s Dominique Rodriguez in check while the game was in the balance.

Mullen head coach Frank Cawley wasn’t surprised.

“Haley did really well,” he said. “She’s on Rodriguez the entire game and made some nice shots. Her defense and the whole defense of this team is something people aren’t seeing, but it’s good.

“And I think it was Haley’s best game by far. That’s a tough defensive assignment for her and she did a great job, I’m very proud of her.”

Van Horn, who made three 3-pointers in the first half as Mullen led 34-19, took everything in stride and deflected any sort of praise to her team.

For instance:

--- On it possibly being her best game: “Maybe offensively, yeah. We did great as a team. I was comfortable shooting it.”

--- On converting four 3-pointers: “I think when anyone on the team start making them, the whole
team gets brought up.”

--- On defending Rodriguez, the Cougars’ second-leading scorer who also runs their offense: “I knew my team had help, so I could get up on her. If she drove past me, my team was there.”

--- And on contributing as a scorer: “It definitely doesn’t feel bad.”

Sophomore Gracie Gallegos also continues to emerge. She had a team-high 16 points and kept Cherokee Trail’s Makayla Hemingway (10 points) in check. Junior Megan Pohs added 12 and another junior, Elaina Martinez, scored nine.

Rodriguez led the Cougars (10-4, 2-3) with 20, but 10 came in the fourth quarter when the game was all but decided.

“We looked good and that’s a darned good team we beat,” Cawley said.

Mullen will resume league play on Friday at Overland, also in Aurora.
 
MULLEN 69, CHEROKEE TRAIL 50

Mullen 20 14 14 21 -- 69

Cherokee Trail 11 8 17 14 -- 50

Mullen – Pohs 5 0-0 12, Martinez 3 1-1 9, Van Horn 5 0-0 14, Perez 2 0-0 4, Gallegos 6 3-4 16, Dominguez 3 1-4 7, Oates-Stamm 1 1-3 3, Elges 1 0-0 2, Webster 1 0-0 2. Totals 27 6-12 69.

Cherokee Trail – Rodriguez 7 4-4 20, Hemingway 4 0-1 10, Leu-Pierre 0 0-0 0, Collins 1 2-4 4, Thomas 5 2-4 12, Culbreath 1 2-3 4, Roberson 0 0-0 0, O. Lee 0 0-0 0, A. Lee 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 10-16 50.

3-pt. goals – Van Horn 4, Martinez 2, Pohs 2, Gallegos; Hemingway 2, Rodriguez 2.
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