Mules vs. Spearman & Kermit (2-23&26-2016)

Mules vs. Spearman & Kermit (2-23&26-2016)

This past week may have seemed to the Mule basketball team as Yogi Berra once said, “It’s like de’ja vu all over again.” The week played out almost like it did in the 2015 Texas State Boys Basketball Playoffs.

The Mules met the Spearman Lynx in the Randall Raider Gym for the Bi-District Championship. The Mules dominated the Lynx 58-35. The state ranked Kermit Yellow Jackets were the Mules next opponent.

The Mules played a strong first half against Kermit and went to the dressing room down 29-23. But the Mules seemed to lose their focus in the third period and fell behind and could never catch up. Kermit defeated the Mules for the second time in the Area Round of the Playoffs 68-42.

Danny Campos owned the paint in the first period and scored the first six unanswered points for the Mules. He finished with a fourth basket in the period. Dagen Dunham chipped in a free throw and Beto Diaz drove the lane for a hoop. Aaryn Ross scored at the buzzer to give the Mules a 13-4 first period lead.

The Mules seemed to lose their intensity in the second period and allowed the Lynx to cut the Mule lead to 22-18. Campos scored the Mules first basket of the second period with an assist from Tony Castillo.

Campos chipped in a free throw later in the quarter. Jason Florez sank a 3-pointer from the top of the key and Castillo chipped in a free throw.

The Mules came out of the dressing room with a new intensity and poured in 19 points. Campos had his second eight point quarter. Dunham hit a trey from the corner and put back an offensive rebound for a hoop.

Florez made the Mules first two points of the second half with an assist from Diaz and he added a second hoop before the period ended. Diaz chipped in a pair from the charity line. The Mules led 43-27 with eight minutes remaining in the game.

The Mules continued to dominate Spearman in the final period for the win. Diaz made a free throw to start the final period and he added two more from the line. Jesse Leal grabbed a long defensive rebound and drove the floor for a lay up. He later chipped in a pair of free throws. Leal distributed the ball to both Castillo and Donovan Gutierrez for baskets.

Campos led the Mules with 21 points and Dunham finished with 10. Diaz and Florez made seven points each. Castillo scored five points and Leal dropped in four points. Ross and Gutierrez both chipped in two points for the win.

The Mules met the Kermit Yellow Jackets Denver City’s brand new DAG. Campos got the Mules started with an athletic move in the paint. Florez went coast-to-coast for a lay up and sank a trey from the wing.

Florez converted an assist from Castillo to points and chipped in a pair of free throws for nine points in the period. Diaz scored with an assist from Dunham. The Mules trailed Kermit 16-13 after one quarter. The Jackets made four treys in the first quarter.

The Mules got to the free throw line in the second period for seven of their 10 points. Florez made one free throw half way through the second quarter and added two more from the charity line later in the quarter.

Diaz and Castillo made two free throws each in the second period and Dunham sank a 3-pointer from the wing. The Mules trailed 29-23 at the intermission.

Castillo scored a hoop on an assist from Florez to start the third period. Dunham made a free throw and turned an assist from Diaz into two points. The Mules trailed 47-28 after three quarters.

The Mules could not mount a come back in the final quarter and fell even farther back. Dunham made two free throws to start the final quarter and added one final basket on an assist from Campos.

Campos chipped in a free throw and converted a free throw later in the quarter to complete and old-fashion three-point play. Antonio Vasquez drove for a hoop and chipped in a free throw. He later scored on an assist from Castillo. Castillo chipped in a free throw.

Florez made all 12 of his points in the first half and Dunham finished with 10 points. Campos dropped in six points. Vasquez and Castillo added five points each and Diaz chipped in four points.

The Mules will turn their attention to spring sports to finish out the school year.