Mules vs. Shallwater & Roosevelt (1-10 & 13-2017)

Mules vs. Shallwater & Roosevelt (1-10 & 13-2017)

The Mules opened up fast Tuesday in Shallowater against the Mustangs but failed to hang on in the second half. The Mules went down to defeat 58-53. Friday night the Mules won their second district game by bumping off the Lubbock Roosevelt Eagles 63-28.

The Mules had to play catch up in the first period but slipped by Shallowater 14-13 by the end of the opening quarter. Jesse Leal put the Mules on the board a minute and a half into of the opening frame. Tre Villa sank a trey and later had added a basket. 

Beto Diaz and Donovan Gutierrez each scored a hoop. Dagen Dunham chipped in one free throw and then sank a baseline jumper.

The Mules accelerated their game in the second period. Jason Florez led off with a pair of free throws, finished a fast break with a layup, and chipped in two more fee throws. Dunham putback an offensive rebound and sank a short jumper. Diaz sank a trey at the buzzer. The Mules had extended their lead to 31-25 by the intermission. 

The Mules just managed to hold off the Mustangs in the third period. Florez nailed a 3-pointer from near the top of the key a minute into the third quarter. He later completed a three-point play by converting the free throw. By the end of the quarter, he had added two more free throws. 

Diaz chipped in a free throw and later dropped in two baskets in the paint. Dunham scored from the baseline. The Mules had outscored the Mustangs 17-16 and led 48-41 at the start of the final quarter. 

The Mules attempted to run the time out in the last quarter, but the Mustangs got hot from the free throw line. Shallowater made 11 or 16 free throw attempts in the final period. The Mules only managed to score five points while giving up 17.

Florez and Dunham led the Mules with 13 points each. Diaz finished the game with 10 points. Javy Perez scored six points; Villa made five points, and Leal had three points. Donovan Gutierrez chipped I two points. 

The put up a barrage of 3-pointers in the first period against Roosevelt. Diaz sank the Mules first trey 17 seconds into the game. Romeo Reyes and Villa each hit from behind the arc. Leal, Villa, and Diaz each added a basket. Dunham made four hoops. Gutierrez chipped in a free throw. The Mules had raced out to a 24-4 lead over the Eagles. 

The Mules backed off a bit in the second period. Kevin Gonzales scored a little over a minute into the second quarter. Dunham dropped in a pair of hoops, and Reese Orozco sank a 3-pointer. He later chipped in a free throw. Leal finished with two charity tosses. The Mules led 38-7 at the half. 

Diaz cranked up the Mule offense in the second half. Villa sank a three from the wing. Mario Flores made three free throws and Dunham dropped in two. Javy Perez completed a three-point play and scored a hoop that beat the buzzer. The Mules led the Eagles 53-19 with just eight minutes remaining to play. 

Leal opened the final period with a hoop. Diaz dominated the paint for three baskets. Flores score the Mules final two points. 

Dunham finished the game with three dunks and a game-high 14 points. Diaz dropped in 13 points, and Villa added 10. Leal scored six points, Flores scored all five of his points in the second half, as did Perez. Orozco made four points, Reyes had three points, Gonzales hit two points, and Gutierrez chipped in one point. 

The Mules will wrap up the first round of district this week. They hosted the league leading Littlefield Wildcats Tuesday night and will travel to Idalou Friday night to go against the green Wildcats. The Mules will go to Dimmitt January 24 to open their second round of district.