Champ vs. champ meet again

 

Seriously, it really wasn’t anything like the previous time despite the final score.

Back in January, Mullen got humbled in a big way in a 20-point loss to Cherry Creek in Greenwood Village, one in which it appeared timid, indecisive and rather outclassed.

And even though the host Mustangs lost by 21 points (60-39) to the Bruins in a return match in the Centennial League’s home-and-away on a snowy Monday night, the game was very different as were the feelings afterward.

“We got a lot better tonight,” Mustangs had coach Frank Cawley said. “I’m proud of them.”

The matchup and play were more befitting of the defending Class 5A champion (Bruins) visiting the defending 4A champion (Bruins).

Whereas the previous meeting had Mullen, now 13-6 overall, 7-3 in league, falling behind by a bunch in the opening possessions before making it somewhat respectable at the end, this time the Mustangs traded punches, surges, and ebb and flow with the Bruins (16-2, 9-1). It was 10-9 after a quarter and 27-20 (Cherry Creek) at half.

The second-half killers were cold shooting by Mullen (2-of-17 from the floor in the third quarter and 3-of-11 in the fourth) as well as the two Division I signees by the Bruins, Jana Van Gytenbeek (Stanford) and Cali Clark (Colorado State). The Mustangs weren’t hurt that much by Van Gytenbeek in the first meeting, but she was clearly the best player on the floor Monday, flying around for passes, defense, leadership, 3-pointers and a game-high 23 points. Clark was particularly effective inside on rebounding and defense, and scored 11 points.

Cawley couldn’t complain.

“If you would have told me it would be a seven-point game at halftime, I would have taken that,” he said. “It’s there (for us) and you know what – the thing that was most-pleasing was we didn’t enter the game scared and when (the Bruins) made a run we answered. We didn’t in the third quarter, but I was pleased.”

Mullen attacked after halftime, made a lot of moves to the basket and got open shots against a good Cherry Creek defense, but couldn’t knock down enough of them. Nineteen points were all the Mustangs could muster over the final 16 minutes, although Alexa Dominguez, Gracie Gallegos, Elaina Martinez, Megan Pohs, Imani Perez and Haley Van Horn kept firing. Gallegos had a team-high 10 points.

It happens, Cawley knows, so moving on is the immediate thing. Mullen will be at Smoky Hill in Aurora in league on Wednesday, Feb. 12, at 5:30 p.m.

“That team is just really good,” Cawley said of the Bruins. “Jana is special, she’s legit and I’m glad I don’t have to coach against her anymore.

“The thing about it is no one we’ll play at playoff time (in 4A) is playing teams like these.”

 

Cherry Creek – Wrede 5 1-1 11, Van Gytenbeek 8 3-3 23, Clark 5 1-2 11, Thompson 4 0-0 8, Kyle 1 0-0 3, K. Christianson 0 0-0 0, L. Christianson 0 0-0 0, McDavid 0 2-3 2, Gribb 1 0-0 2. Totals 24 7-9 60.

Mullen – Pohs 3 0-0 9, Martinez 0 0-0 0, Van Horn 0 2-2 2, Perez 2 1-2 6, Gallegos 4 0-0 10, Dominguez 3 0-2 6, Webster 0 2-2 2, Elges 1 0-0 2, Freelon 0 0-0 0, Gutierrez 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 7-10 39.

3-pt. goals – Van Gytenbeek 4, Kyle; Pohs 3, Gallegos 2, Perez.