'Stangs girls to open defense on Friday

 

And so it begins for Mullen girls basketball …

The Mustangs will open defense of their 2019 Class 4A Colorado Championship on Friday, Feb. 27, at home against Cheyenne Mountain at Hutchison Fieldhouse.

The Mustangs are seeded No. 9 with a 16-7 record and coming off a 53-49 loss at Grandview to end the regular season in which they made the Wolves, who were in the past three 5A title games and were winners in 2017 and 2018, sweat to the end.

Afterward, Mustangs head coach Frank Cawley pronounced his team ready for the postseason.

Mullen, which was 10-4 for a second straight season in the 5A-based Centennial League, was third in the loop’s scoring offense and defense.

Individually, sophomore center Imani Perez heads a balanced team without a double-figure scorer – she’s at 9.6 points. She’s followed by junior point guard Megan Pohs and sophomore swing player Gracie Gallegos, both at 9.5. Perez also is tops in rebounding at 7.6.

The Mustangs were idle in the first round.

No. 24 Cheyenne Mountain (14-10) rolled Denver’s Thomas Jefferson 75-26 in preliminaries. Selena Vargas (14.4 points), Katelynn Ralston (13.8) and Alena San Augustin (1101) head Indians scoring.

Interestingly, it’s a matchup of programs that stand second and third in Colorado history with championships. The Indians have won 97 and the Mustangs 79. Cherry Creek is tops with 226.

Friday’s winner will play the winner of the No. 25 Mesa Ridge-No. 8 Montrose matchup on Tuesday, March 3.