Bulldogs snatch victory from Mules in hard-fought game

The Sikeston Bulldogs showed why they are the No. 1-ranked boys basketball team in Class 5 with a dominating 88-52 road win over the Poplar Bluff Mules on Friday at Mules Gymnasium.

Sikeston spoiled the Mules’ homecoming in the process, which began before the game with the crowning of Ireland Gowen as queen, a senior standout for the Mules in soccer and basketball.

Poplar Bluff gave a valiant effort from start to finish, doing its best to keep up with Sikeston’s powerful offense — but with no room for error, the Bulldogs built a 22-point halftime lead, and their relentless pace in the second half left no doubt at the end with a 36-point victory.

“The effort was definitely there,” said Mules coach William Durden. “We’re playing hard, but we just turned the ball over at the wrong time. But I applaud our kids’ effort — we just have to keep playing.”

Poplar Bluff’s leading scorer was Dallas Williams with a game-high 20 points, while Justin Briscoe scored 12 for the Mules.

Sikeston’s Tristan Wiggins led the Bulldogs with 16 points.

Poplar Bluff’s record fell to 9-12, while Sikeston increased its record to 18-3 on the year.

The game began without a lot of scoring, with both teams feeling out the defense to see what was available. Sikeston pulled out to a 9-2 lead about halfway through the first quarter, but the Mules tried their best to keep pace with the Bulldogs, trailing 19-13 at the end of the quarter.

The second quarter started much as the first did, with Poplar Bluff trailing just 25-21 with 4:47 left in the first half.

That’s when Sikeston’s offense brought the roof down on the Mules.

The Bulldogs went on runs of 8-0, 7-3, and 9-3 over the rest of the half. Poplar Bluff did its best to hang in, but too many shots fell short, and Sikeston’s defense created steals and turnovers to build a 49-27 lead at halftime.

“Sikeston’s a team that runs, and you try to sustain during those runs,” Durden said. “We got the game to four (points), and then we turned the ball over four times in a row, and it led to eight straight point (for Sikeston).”

The story was the same in the third quarter. Poplar Bluff’s effort was undeniable, pulling down rebounds, blocking shots, and doing its best to score on every possession. But cutting into Sikeston’s lead was almost impossible, as the Bulldogs scored on breakaway layups, baseline 3-pointers, and a pair of slam dunks that got the visiting fans roaring in Poplar Bluff’s home gym, pushing them to a 66-33 lead at one point.

The Mules refused to go quietly however, going on a 8-2 run to end the third quarter to trail 68-41 with one more quarter to play.

Eight minutes wasn’t nearly enough to make up that many points, and Sikeston outscored the Mules 20-11 in the fourth for a victory that was never at risk in the second half.

The Mules also played shorthanded in their starting lineup, with both Brendan and Sammy Durden out with leg injuries.

“We’re in that ‘next man up’ mentality now,” coach Durden said. “We’re going through a little adversity right now. We just need to keep playing and picking each other up.”

Next up for the Mules is a Valentine’s Day home game against Notre Dame of Cape Girardeau. The junior varsity game tips at 6 p.m., with the varsity slated to follow.