2-16 Basketball Roundup
Boys make the key plays late to down host Overland; girls blow out Smoky Hill.
In Aurora, Mullen made most of the key plays in the final moments and got past host Overland 58-55 on Thursday night in the second round of the Centennial League Tournament.
The Mustangs are 9-13. The last time they had defeated the Trailblazers was Jan. 23, 2019, a span of seven consecutive losses. Mullen stands at No. 38 in the RPI qualifying, six spots away from the Class 6A playoffs. It will meet host Arapahoe, which beat Cherokee Trail 57-51 on Thursday, on Saturday, Feb. 18, 3 p.m., in a regular-season finale.
With the Trailblazers surging down the stretch, the Mustangs held them off with free throws by Cisco Jerez and Jordan Leslie, a steal and rebound that were vital by Thomas Stewart, and a big basket by Ish Aceves.
Mullen lost the earlier matchup at Overland and didn’t forget it.
“Last time we played Overland,” head coach Roosevelt Leslie said, “we pretty much had the same game plan; we just had to be dedicated to make the plays defensively and take care of the basketball.”
Said Jordan Leslie: “I think … this game we played more as a team. The last game (against Overland), once it got close we were doing a one-man or two-man show. Tonight, we just played as a team.”
Aceves was active in topping the Mustangs with 15 points. Jordan Leslie had 14 and Jerez had 10. In addition, the likes of Stewart, Eddie Roth, Keelan Jones, Lukas Castillo and Ben Medina contributed bits and pieces of scoring, defense and/or rebounding.
MULLEN 58, OVERLAND 55
Mullen 16 11 15 16 -- 58
Overland 15 15 11 14 -- 55
Mullen -- Leslie 6 2-2 14, Jerez 3 4-6 10, Stewart 1 1-2 3, Jones 2 0-0 6, Aceves 6 3-5 15, Castillo 0 2-4 2, Roth 2 0-0 5, Medina 1 0-0 3. Totals 21 12-19 58.
Overland – Joiner 1 0-0 2, Ali 8 4-4 21, Armedan 0 1-2 1, Dixon 4 0-0 8, Nasir 1 0-0 3, Mursal 3 0-1 8, 1 0-2 2, Perez 4 0-0 8. Totals 23 5-9 55.
3-pt. goals – Jones 2, Medina, Roth; Mursal 2, Ali, Nasir.
Girls Basketball
At home at The Hutch, the Mustangs blew out Smoky Hill for a second time this season, this one 90-28 in the second round of the Centennial League Tournament.
Mullen improved to 9-12 and will take on Eaglecrest, a 56-22 victor over Overland on Thursday, at Cherry Creek in Greenwood Village on Saturday, Feb. 18, 11:30 a.m.
This one was never in doubt as the Mustangs enjoyed a 58-point first half and held the Buffaloes to single-digit scoring over the first three quarters.
Mullen senior Sofia Zienkewicz led all scorers with 16 points. McKenzie Wood added 15, Keaton Arangua-Egbert and Allison Schwertner each had 14 and Chloe Pelster 11.
As of late Thursday, the Mustangs, who have won four consecutive 4A Colorado championships, sat at No. 32 in the RPI qualifying, the final spot for the 6A playoffs.
MULLEN 90, SMOKY HILL 28
Smoky Hill 7 7 2 12 – 28
Mullen 28 30 19 13 -- 90
Smoky Hill – Davis 0 0-0 0, Raza 0 0-0 0, L. Fifita 0 0-0 0, Thomas 2 0-3 6, Strangle 3 1-2 7, P. Fifita 1 0-0 2, Perez 5 1-1 13. Totals 11 2-6 28.
Mullen – Johnson 2 0-0 5, Arangua-Egbert 5 2-2 14, Zienkewicz 8 0-0 16, Thomas 2 0-0 4, Pelster 5 1-2 11, Archibald 0 0-0 0, Kerschen 0 0-0 0, Schwertner 6 1-6 14, Wood 6 3-3 15, Jones 3 2-2 8, Mylott 1 0-0 3. Totals 38 9-15 90.
3-pt. goals – Perez 2, Thomas 2; Arangua-Egbert 2, Johnson, Mylott, Schwertner.
© 2020 Mullen High School. All Rights Reserved.