Mules vs. Dimmitt (2-15-2016)

Mules vs. Dimmitt (2-15-2016)

The Mules traveled to Dimmitt Tuesday night to end the regular season. Beto Diaz sank a trey for the Mules just 10 seconds into the game but the Bobcats came back to take the lead at 20-15 by the end of the end of the first period.

The Mules came roaring back in the second quarter with Jesse Leal giving the Mules a 21-20 lead six minutes before the first half ended. The Mules never again relinquished the lead. The Mules clinched a tie for second place in the district with a 68-65 win.

Leal turned up the defensive heat on the Bobcats top 3-point shooter from game one of the Mules vs. Bobcats. Leal seemed to get in that Bobcat’s head and his game dropped off.

The Mules out rebounded the Bobcats on both ends of the floor but jerked down 19 offensive rebounds compared to four by Dimmitt. The Mules converted many of those rebounds to points.

Jason Florez stepped into a trey from the wing one minute after Diaz. Leal hit from the blocks and battled through a foul on a fast break. He converted the free throw for an old-fashion three-point play. Diaz scored from near the elbow and Dagen Dunham scored just before the buzzer sounded. The Mules trailed 20-15.

Tony Castillo made a pass to Dunham to start the second quarter with a short jumper. Dunham went on to added three more hoops before the half end for eight points in the period and 10 in the half.

Diaz made a reverse lay up and Leal put back an offensive rebound to give the Mules the lead. Castillo made one free throw as did Antonio Vasquez. Aaryn Ross sank two from the charity line. The Mules led 31-26 at the half.

The Mules did not score for just over four minutes in the third quarter. Danny Campos broke his scoring drought with a free throw. Dunham sank a 3-pointer and Florez chipped in a free throw. Castillo used an assist from Florez to score from near the baseline. The Mules were clinging to a 38-37 lead when the period ended.

Florez took over the game in the final quarter with 21 points and willed the Mules to win. He got the Mules started with a lay up and he was fouled. Florez converted the charity toss. Campos ripped down an offensive rebound on one side of the boards and someway stepped to the opposite side of the hoop and gently put the ball up on the glass in a in the hoop.

He later took an assist from Florez to score in the paint. Dunham made five-of-six free throws and Leal chipped in a free throw. Florez sank a pair of treys, three hoops and was six-for-six from the line.

Florez 21 point final quarter made him the Mule leader in points with 25 points. Dunham finished with 18 points. Leal would have been the defensive leader and he added eight points. Diaz dropped in seven points and Campos made five points. Castillo finished with three points, Ross made two points and Vasquez chipped in one point.

The Mules flipped a coin with Littlefield to break the tie and the Mules lost the flip. The Mules met the second place team from District 1-3A, the Spearman Lynx, Tuesday night at 8:00 PM.