Trailing by 12 in the third quarter Friday night, Poplar Bluff coach William Durden called a timeout.
"Coach just said we've got to step it up," Poplar Bluff junior Dominique Hardimon said.
The Mules did just that.
Using a full-court zone press, Poplar Bluff forced six turnovers and scored 16 straight points over the final three minutes of the quarter. The run extended into the fourth, reaching 19 straight, and the Mules sank enough free throws to beat Soldan of St. Louis 79-70 in the Mules Booster Club Shootout.
"We hadn't pressed much this year because we'd been so worried about our half-court defense and giving up easy buckets in transition," Durden said. "I'm just glad when we had to use it the kids did well in it."
Hardimon, who led the Mules with 29 points and seven rebounds, capped a 21-1 run with a layin off a spin move with six minutes remaining for a 62-54 lead.
"We just kept putting them in that pressure," said Hardimon who had a pair of steals.
Xander Martin matched his career high with 13 points, sinking a pair of 3-pointers and all seven of his free throws, while freshman Joseph Hardimon scored a career-best 13. Rodney Houston chipped in 11 points and Nik Rowland scored nine of his 10 points in the first half.
The Mules nearly doubled their season total of made free throws. They sank 32 of 44 foul shots Friday after making 37 in the previous five games at a 60.6 percent success rate.
Soldan sank 21 of 28 free throws, getting the Mules into early foul trouble.
In all the teams combined for 54 fouls with three Tigers fouling out while Poplar Bluff had one player exit early and another finish with four fouls.
"We fouled entirely too much in the first half and even in the third quarter when we started getting down," Durden said. "We were putting our hands on them. We've been training and trying not to do that.
"I think when we went to that zone press it kind of helped us out a little bit, stopped putting our hands on them."
Soldan (4-6) put together a 10-2 run midway through the third quarter, forcing four turnovers. Elijah Bishop's three-point play capped the run with 3:20 left in the third, putting the Mules in a 53-41 hole.
Joseph Hardimon scored consecutive fast-break baskets, Rowland got a steal and Dominique Hardimon scored on a putback. After the Mules missed a pair of layups after turnovers, Houston's steal led to a 3 by Martin. Dominique Hardimon sank four free throws on one-and-one chances at the line with Soldan throwing the ball away between them to put Poplar Bluff in front. Rowland drew a charge and Martin was fouled shooting a 3 at the buzzer. The junior sank all three shots for a 57-53 lead heading into the fourth.
The Tigers finally scored on a free throw after nearly 4 1/2 minutes, but didn't get a shot from the field to fall until there was 3:57 remaining and they trailed 69-62.
Over the final five minutes, Poplar Bluff sank 13 of 19 free throws, including four by Martin after he was fouled and a technical foul was issued.
"We shoot 100 every day in practice, just to get our rotation right and make them," said Dominique Hardimon, who was 13 for 17 at the line.
Jesse Little led Soldan with 25 points, 11 coming in the first quarter when the Mules were whistled for seven fouls.
Poplar Bluff scored the first six points and led 19-17 to start the second quarter.
There were 10 lead changes and two ties in the second quarter with Little's 3 in the final minute giving the Tigers a 39-37 halftime advantage.