A 19-3 opening run would give the Bauxite Miners the necessary momentum to take down the CAC Mustangs in a 62-32 blowout in 4A/3A District 9 action at Fred Dawson Gym. The Miners saw contributions from virtually everyone on their roster, and Head Coach Andy Brakebill believed it was the determining factor.
“Our guys are playing really well right now,” Brakebill said. “Everyone’s contributing and you can tell it’s making a difference.”
Losing by one point in their previous meeting in North Little Rock, the Miners (18-6, 10-4) looked to put the game at a fast pace early in the game, as they were pushing the ball up the court on defensive rebounds, giving them several quick looks inside early in the game. As the Mustangs began to pack inside the paint, the Miners responded with kicking it out to the perimeter, where sophomore guard Max Chenault would convert on two threes on back-to-back possessions. The quarter also proved to be good to senior Jacob Stroud, as his defensive intensity would lead to several layups off of forced turnovers, giving him six points in the quarter.
CAC 47,
Bauxite 22
An 8-0 run to start the first quarter for the CAC Lady Mustangs would set the tone for the entire game, as the Lady Mustangs blew out the Bauxite Lady Miners with a final score 47-22 in 4A/3A District 9 play at Fred Dawson Gym in Bauxite. Head Coach Joanna Scott was proud of her team’s effort, regardless of the outcome.
“That’s a really good team,” Scott said. “I think nerves got to us and we had trouble finishing around the hoop. Overall, we have improved a lot since we played them last. We started to break the press more often and it helped us to get better as a team. This game helped prepare us for district, and that’s how we have to look at it.
The Lady Mustangs (25-1, 14-0) roared to an electric start, forcing turnovers and making shots in transition early, spawning an 8-0 run to begin the game. Bauxite (15-9, 10-4) struggled to score against the Lady Mustang zone defense, only scoring four points in the quarter. In the second quarter, the Lady Mustangs would switch to a press defense, suffocating all Bauxite ball handlers and forcing them into coughing the ball up. This defensive adjustment would lead to more baskets for an already rolling Lady Mustangs team, as they outscored the Lady Miners 15-3 in the quarter. Senior Christyn Williams, the No. 1 prospect in the country and Connecticut signee, would account for the majority of the scoring in the second quarter, scoring nine in the quarter.
Bauxite returns home on Tuesday to take on Episcopal.