'Stangs have trouble hanging on the Hill
Smoky Hill pulls away from Mullen in 2nd half, wins 66-53 in the Centennial League; Mustangs have dropped 2 in a row.
AURORA – Mullen had difficulty sustaining on Wednesday night and it cost the Mustangs.
Still bidding to qualify for the 32-team playoff field in Class 5A, the Mustangs couldn’t deliver late in a 66-53 loss at Smoky Hill in the Centennial league.
“We played pretty well to start,” Mullen head coach Bob Caton said, “but (the Buffaloes) just kept going and they have players a little better than us.”
Mullen dropped to 5-5 overall and in league. Smoky Hill is 6-4, 5-4.
“We just couldn’t make some shots and when we pressed we’d make a steal and couldn’t handle the ball,” Caton said.
It was 28-24 at half in favor of the Buffs, who pulled away in the second half, including with a 24-18 edge in the fourth quarter.
Mullen was scheduled to host Overland on Friday, Feb. 26, but the Trailblazers are quarantined from the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the game has been cancelled. Late Wednesday, Caton said the Mustangs will host Jeffco’s Chatfield in a nonleaguer at 7:15 p.m.
Brayden Carter led the Mustangs with 17 points and Micah Leslie added 10. Ryan Schmitt came off the bench to add eight.
SMOKY HILL 66, MULLEN 53
Mullen 15 9 11 18 – 53
Smoky Hill 14 14 14 24 – 66
Mullen -- J. Leslie 2 0-0 5, Lopez 2 2-2 6, Berg 0 0-0 0, Dominguez 1 0-0 3, Smith 0 0-0 0, Heffern 1 0-0 3, M. Leslie 4 2-3 10, Schmitt 4 0-0 8, Carter 7 2-6 18. Totals 21 6-11 53.
Smoky Hill – Mitchell 1 0-0 2, Maldonado 6 4-4 17, Potts 2 2-2 8, Whitaker 7 3-4 20, Smith 4 0-0 8, Harris 4 2-2 11. Totals 24 11-12 66.
3-pt. goals – Carter 2, Dominguez, Heffern, J. Leslie; Whitaker 3, Potts 2, Harris, Maldonado.
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