Poplar Bluff falls to top-seeded Sikeston

The Poplar Bluff Mules had a solid game plan going into Thursday's matchup against Sikeston, but an off-shooting night and turnovers would end their chances of reaching the SEMO Conference finals.

The number five-seeded Mules entered the game as the underdogs to battle against the number one-seeded Sikeston Bulldogs in Tuesday's 2023 SEMO Conference Boys Basketball Tournament at Sikeston High School.

The Mules came out swinging early with an unexpected 8-2 run over the Bulldogs, but a second-quarter surge from Sikeston would end their hopes of making the finals with an 86-57 loss. The Mules fall to 3-4 on the season.

After landing an overtime victory over Jackson in the first round, head coach William Durden said the Mules needed to correct their mistakes quickly, or it would be a tough matchup against Sikeston.

“I thought we got out to a good start with a nice flow as a team, but Sikeston is a team that plays off runs, and we didn't sustain any kind of resistance when they went on their run,” Durden said. “At times, I think we started to panic, and if we had kept our composure more, we would have made a better game out of it.”

The Mules had a solid first quarter but struggled to consistently connect from the field for the remainder of the game, which landed them in a deep hole early against the Bulldogs. The Mules shot 34% from around the perimeter and only made one three off 22 attempts.

Although the Mules had a hard time finding a shot, a series of 20 turnovers would halt their chances of picking up any momentum to close the gap. By mid-third quarter, the Mules would trail by 30 points with no luck in trimming down the deficit before the final buzzer.

Durden said playing against a well-balanced team like Sikeston will be tough for any team. He said it’s still early in the season to correct the mistakes they made, and their goal is to protect the ball more going forward.

Senior Preston Moore led the Mules with 14 points and continued his solid performance from the charity line. Darius Graham added off the bench with 12 points, while Dallas Williams chipped in with seven points.

Dontrez Williams ran the show for the Bulldogs by collecting 20 points, and guard Patrick Farmer added with 16 points.

The Mules will return to Sikeston on Friday to play for third place, and Durden said they can’t hold onto this loss because they will have to play against another tough team.

“Anytime you can play on the last night of the SEMO conference tournament, it's a blessing in itself,” Durden said. “We have some of the best teams in the state in this tournament, and you're playing stiff competition every night. We're not happy about the outcome tonight, but we are getting to play for third, so we must regroup and play better.”