C6D1 boys: Mules beat Mehlville, face Kirkwood next

KIRKWOOD, Missouri — Heading into the Class 6 District 1 boys basketball tournament, it was win or go home for the Poplar Bluff Mules — so it’s little surprise they pulled out all the stops to advance to the next round.

With a huge offensive burst in the first half, the Mules moved on to the semifinals with a 67-54 win Wednesday night over the Mehlville Panthers.

“This was a good win, and I’m just happy to be practicing tomorrow,” Poplar Bluff coach William Durden said after the game. “It’s just a good feeling to see these kids move on because it’s been a tough year, but we don’t plan to stop here — we just need to keep moving forward.”

Poplar Bluff�s Brendan Durden scored 13 points in the Mules� win over Mehlville in the MSHSAA Class 6 District 1 opener Wednesday.DAR file/D�Courtland Christian

The Mules came out in attack mode, knocking down some key baskets to establish a 22-15 first-quarter lead, setting the tone that they were not ready to end their season.

Stepping out with aggressive defense, the Mules managed to close the paint, forcing Mehlville to shoot, which worked in their favor to maintain the lead. The Mules didn’t seem too pressed to make a quick play — instead, they waited for the perfect moment to execute.

After being up by as many as 13 points in the first half, the Mules struggled in the second quarter to find the basket and gave Mehlville the window needed to make some big plays.

Due to some unwanted turnovers, the Panthers found themselves back in the game by capitalizing off of the Mules’ mistakes, as they cut the Poplar Bluff lead to 32-29 before halftime.

While making some big shots in the first quarter, the Mules needed to protect the ball and minimize the eight turnovers from the first half to keep the lead. That wouldn’t be a problem as the Mules exploded with a 14-8 run in the third.

After a few more defensive stops and transition baskets, the Mules were able to extend a comfortable lead and coast to victory.

Sophomore Brendan Durden came out with a lot of fire tonight, and the team seemed to gel off of his energy. Durden led with 13 points and knocked down a few key baskets to keep the Mules out front.

Senior guard Darius Graham added 12 points, and junior Preston Moore chipped in 10.

The Mules will be back in action Friday to take on the No. 1 seed Kirkwood (23-2) for a spot in the district championship, which Poplar Bluff last won in 2021.

Coach Durden said he’s noticed a dramatic change in his team and was proud of how they approached the game tonight.

“The kids just seem excited to play,” he said. “They’ve been doing everything we instructed them to do, and we just need to build on that. I believe they are starting to understand our game plan, and the best thing we can do now is just to grind it out.”

“As for our next matchup against Kirkwood, we must keep playing hard and battle. We’ve seen tough teams all year, so it won’t be a surprise, but we must go out there and compete,” Durden added.