TIGERS WHIP MULES; CENTRAL CRUISES TO 69-44 VICTORY

Cape Central coach Brett Reutzel may have rocked the boat, but the ship sailed as smooth as it has all season.

The Tigers' starting lineup underwent a makeover Friday night and Reutzel reached deep into his bench as Cape Central bombarded Poplar Bluff 69-44 in a SEMO Conference game.

Central's first-time starters -- junior forward Demetrius Totten, and sophomore guard T.J. Erlacker, who was brought up from the junior varsity -- provided 12 total points, but the spark they provided may generate a long-term positive effect.

Overall, Cape was efficient on offense, committing just 11 turnovers and making 52 percent from the field (11-of-21). More impressive, the Tigers (8-10) made 26 of 30 free throws.

Reutzel said that Central's new lineup wasn't meant to punish anyone.

"This was not a punishment situation," he said. "I felt like we were getting stale and everyone was getting comfortable in their jobs. So we rewarded those who were playing the hardest and the best in practice. That just happened to be the way it was when practice ended yesterday. That's why that group started."

Still, two of Central's main offensive weapons -- senior forward Kelly Illers and junior 3-point specialist Eric Wessel -- started the game on the bench.

Wessel finished with six points and Illers provided seven points, nine rebounds and five assists.

"I thought Kelly coming off the bench and playing the way he did showed a lot of class," Reutzel said. "He was just a maniac on the boards."

With Illers, Wessel and another part-time starter Rob Winschel on the bench in the first quarter, that made 6-foot-4 junior center Ross Conner and junior Donnie McClinton -- who was battling the flu -- as Central's only legitimate scoring threats in the first quarter.

That said, Central's starting five, which also included senior point guard Nick Swoboda, showed patience in the opening minutes and was able to get Conner the ball in good position in the paint.

Central led 19-12 after the first quarter and 27-17 at halftime.

Conner dominated the game early, scoring Central's first seven points. He ended up with 17 points overall in addition to his eight rebounds.

In one impressive sequence in the middle of the third quarter, Conner leaped across the lane, swatted a shot to halfcourt, sprinted past several players, picked the ball up and threw down a dunk at the other end.

"I've been focusing all week on trying to come out real hard," Conner said. "I came out and played with all my effort."

McClinton used his slashing ability and became more effective in the more wide-open second half. He ended up with 14 points, all of them coming after halftime.

Poplar Bluff, meanwhile, was playing its sixth game without its leading scorer Michael Kilgore (19.5 points per game), who broke his wrist.

Jamie Wadell led the Mules with 12 points. Travis Tinsley had 10.

"In the second half, their patience cost us," Poplar Bluff coach John David Pattillo said. "We have a hard time because we don't have anyone in the middle who can score and now we don't have anybody who can break anyone down on the dribble. We just weren't very good tonight."