Starting hot then allowing Mulvane back in the game, El Dorado wore down Mulvane in the second half for a 54-42 victory Friday night in El Dorado
After El Dorado opened the contest with a 9-0 run holding Mulvane scoreless until the 4”04 mark of the first quarter, Mulvane was able to claw its way back to a 19-17 mark at the intermission.
Pounding the ball into the block early, El Dorado got its first score from Peyton Duryea. EHS went back to the block again on the second score, this time feeding Cameron Clausing for the power move and the score.
“We pounded the ball inside and got three inside shots with our big guy,” El Dorado Head Coach Jordon Regeher said. “We executed wonderfully to start the game.”
Establishing the post early, El Dorado moved the ball side to side and inside and out scoring three times from beyond the arc and several other times off defensive breakdowns off penetration.
Mulvane remained cold through the first quarter but managed eight first quarter points and trailed 13-8 at the first break.
El Dorado came out with a 5-0 run to start the second stanza, leading 18-8 at the 6:15 mark. Mulvane scratched its way back in, allowing only one El Dorado point for the remainder of the half. Mulvane’s Drew Ellis narrowed the half time margin to 19-17 with a three from the “C” in
Alumni Court directly in front of the El Dorado crowd.
Leading scorer Jarin Koehler sat out some of the second quarter due to some back problems, Regeher said.
El Dorado widened the margin in the third, looking to the block for buckets again. With 1:40 left in the third, El Dorado led 29-21 and entered the final stanza with a 32-24 advantage.
El Dorado slowly built its lead in the fourth, grabbing a 39-29 advantage by the 3:35 mark. By the three minute mark, El Dorado led 45-31.
After Mulvane put on a last ditch press, El Dorado continued to maintain the lead. Playing keep away, EL Dorado ran the time away on Mulvane.
Jarin Koehler got to the basket at will, ending the contest with 20 points. He also grabbed 8 rebounds and dished out 3 assists.
Drew Ellis was the beef of the offense for Mulvane, finishing with 17 points. Regeher said the defense played on Ellis by Adam Haines was the difference in the contest.
“His defense on (Ellis) was unbelievable. I had him stand up in front of the team there in the locker room. He was player of the game hand down because of his defense and his free throw shooting.”
El Dorado hosts a midseason Tournament beginning Thursday. The first game for El Dorado will be against in-county rival Circle.