'Stangs come up short in battle of '1s'
Mullen can't compete with Grandview's considerable height and two Division I players; Mustangs fall 68-53 in subdued season opener.
AURORA – It was one of the best opening matchups that you didn’t see … but you already knew that.
With the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic still very relevant, a late start to the season still means no fans are permitted at high-school basketball games, even with this one containing the No. 1-ranked girls teams in Classes 5A and 4A.
So inside Grandview’s gymnasium were players, limited coaches, and a handful of administrators among the essential personnel mandated by state officials. Followers had no choice but to try and get a peek electronically.
But all of that was generally forgotten, including players wearing masks, after opening tip-off as the host Wolves, most everyone’s pick to win 5A, ran away in the second half to down Mullen, the popular choice to take it all in 4A, 68-53 as the Centennial League opened its season on Wednesday night.
Bottom line – the Mustangs couldn’t handle the 6-foot-7 Lauren Betts, a junior committed to Stanford, and 6-5 Addison O’Grady, who has signed with Iowa, players who probably will have the Wolves ranked nationally once they log some games.
“We were good in the first half, pretty good,” Mustangs head coach Frank Cawley said, “but they just went to O’Grady and Betts inside, and we didn’t have an answer. It’s tough. They sealed our kids (when establishing position down low) and we couldn’t get around them.
”They had an advantage and took advantage of it, and we didn’t have an answer.”
All told, Betts scored 31 points and O’Grady had 19 with both players basically splitting their scoring in each half.
However, into the third quarter, the Mustangs, who return intact from a season ago, enjoyed a bit of control, ran up and down the floor with the Wolves, and competed on both ends. They led for the majority of the first half, traded baskets in the second quarter and were ahead in the opening minutes of the third quarter.
Alexa Dominguez, Kilah Freelon, Gracie Gallegos, Imani Perez, Megan Pohs and Haley Van Horn combined to do most of the damage, notably Van Horn offensively.
But Mullen went cold when it had the ball halfway through the third quarter, struggling with missed shots and turnovers. For the game, Mullen shot 17-of-44 from the floor, 5-of-17 in the second half, when they were outscored 37-19.
“The missed shots were killing us,” Cawley said. “And the rebounding, too. We were competing in the first half, but couldn’t get any in the second.”
Van Horn’s 15 points topped Mullen. Gallegos, who didn’t get any shots in the first and third quarters, and Pohs each scored 12.
Don’t color Cawley as discouraged. The Wolves are of national caliber and will pose problems for any in-state teams. And the Mustangs will get another crack at them, in Game 8 of this shortened season.
“I liked in the first half how we believed in ourselves,” Cawley said. “And I think that’s going to be the most-important thing -- if we continue to believe In ourselves, we’ll be just fine.
“So we’ll fix it. We have another tough one Friday.”
The Mustangs will meet Cherry Creek, the last team to win a 5A title outright, in 2019, in their home opener at Hutchison Fieldhouse.
GRANDVIEW 68, MULLEN 53
Mullen 15 19 6 13 -- 53
Grandview 14 17 17 20 -- 68
Mullen – Pohs 3 4-4 12, Dominguez 2 3-6 7, Van Horn 6 2-3 15, Perez 2 0-0 5, Gallegos 3 5-5 12, Freelon 1 0-0 2, Martinez 0 0-0 0, Webster 0 0-0 0, Schwertner 0 0-0 0, Oates-Stamm 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 14-18 53.
Grandview – Campbell 1 0-0 3, Robinson 0 0-0 0, O’Grady 9 1-2 19, Hudgins 3 0-0 8, Betts 12 7-8 31, Ramiro 0 0-0 0, Jones 3 0-0 7. Totals 28 8-10 68.
3-pt. goals – Pohs 2, Gallegos, Perez, Van Horn; Hudgins 2, Campbell, Jones.
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