Munday swats away Hornets to advance to 1A regional tournament
There are several levels to the basketball season.
Munday took it to the next level Tuesday.
The Moguls used a 12-0 run in the second quarter to get ahead and though threatened, made that stand up in a 50-46 win over Aspermont at the Hunt P.E. Center on the McMurry University campus.
Munday (29-4), which first qualified for the playoffs, now qualify for the four-team regional tournament Friday and Saturday at The Coliseum in Snyder. The winner advances to the highest level - the state tournament.
"It was a great game, a lot of adversity for both sides,," Munday coach Adrian Daniel said. This is his fifth year and his seniors were eighth-graders when he arrives
It's the first regional tourney appearance for the Moguls under Daniel, who played at McMurry. He previously lost to Jayton in a regional quarterfinal at Kimbrell Arena his first year at Munday.
"So it was exciting to get a win back on this floor," he said.
Munday plays Garden City, which stopped Van Horn 51-38, in the regional tournament in Snyder. Benjamin, which knocked out Knox City 72-43, and Irion County, which topped Buena Vista 64-38, take the court in the other game at The Coliseum.
Munday, ranked No. 20 in the state, came in 28-4, with one of its loses to Benjamin.
Aspermont had nine losses but two were to Knox City in district play, two were by three points and two more were by a point, one in overtime.
So this game was going to be competitive.
The second-quarter run snapped an early 7-7 tie and helped Munday to a 25-13 halftime lead.
"Basketball is a game of runs," Daniel said. "I tell our kids that all the time. Every point was needed in a four-quarter win the way we struggle at the free-throw line."
Both teams struggled there, shooting a combined 12 for 28 at the foul line left a lot of points off the scoreboard. Aspermont was 5 of 10 at the line in the fourth quarter when it needed points.
But Aspermont would not go away. A few shots started to fall and the Moguls contributed enough turnovers to open the door to the Hornets.
Down 27-13 after Aiden Loper's drive to the basket early in the third quarter, Aspermont began chipping away.
"That's a senior-led group and they have played better basketball than they did tonight," Aspermont coach Zach Morris said. "I though those guys fought."
Keltyn Van Meter hit a 3-pointer and Donovan Miller, who matched his jersey number with a game-high 23 points, hit his only 3 right back downcourt. A free shot got it to 27-20, and it was a four-point game when Van Meter swished another trey.
Munday showed it would not surrender the lead when Chris Garcia immediately answered with a 3. The Moguls took a seven-point lead into the fourth quarter.
Darius McDaniel helped his team make that a 12-point lead with three straight baskets sandwiching a reverse layup by the Hornets' Kade Morris.
Again, Aspermont hung in there, slowly cutting its deficit. It was a three-point game (48-45) with 45 seconds to go after two free shots by Seth Johnson.
But Keon Taylor, who had missed three times at the foul line, drained two free throws to ice the game with 17 seconds to go.
Aspermont outscored Munday 21-18 in the final period and 33-25 in the second half, not enough to erase the 12-point halftime deficit.
The Hornets had their shots, a few right round the basket, but never could get one to drop to get over the hump, Morris said.
"I know they felt if they could get close enough and get the opportunities, they could get over the hump," he said. "We never felt like 12 points was a big deficit or seven points was a big deficit. Munday just made more plays and bigger shots in the fourth quarter."
Both teams struggled with key players in foul trouble - Loper for the Moguls and Kade Morris for the Hornets. both eventually fouled out but Aspermont, which plays fewer players was hurt the most with him on the bench, including the team's six-point second quarter.
"That hurt us quite a bit," coach Morris said.
Neither team shot particularly well - both were 4-for-17 from 3-point range. It worked more in favor of Munday.
"That's what we focus on is a lot of pressure on the perimeter," Daniel said. The Hornets would be working that area "so I told our guys we had to physical up top. Get them uncomfortable and force them into a lot of traveling calls. That's what we practice and our guys came out and did it."
Morris agreed that Munday "did a good job getting up in us. They are real physical defensively."
Daniel said the goal is keep teams to 45 points or less.
"Hold teams under 45 and you win a lot of games. They were one over," he said, smiling.
Daniel believed his team could win 30 games this season, and now the Moguls are close. Two more wins gets them to the state tournament.
"We just punched the ticket" to the regional tourney," he said. "I think we've got a chance."
REGION II-1A QUARTERFINAL
Munday 50, Aspermont 46
Aspermont… 7 … 6… 12… 21 – 46
Munday… 10 … 15 … 7… 18 – 50
ASPERMONT (26-10) - Wesley Koenig 2 1-1 7, Keltyn Van Meter 2 1-4 6, Seth Johnson 0 3-4 3, Kade Morris 3 1-2 7, Jasper Hoppe 0 0-1 0, Donovan Miller 11 0-3 23, Calob Castaneda 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 6-15 46
MUNDAY (29-4) – Darrius McDaniel 4 2-4 11, Jaxon Bowman 3 1-2 7, Chris Garcia 2 1-2 6, Bryson Wilson 6 0-0 14, Keon Taylor 1 2-5 4, Aiden Loper 3 0-0 6, Mance Phillips 1 0-0 2. Totals 20 6-13 50
3-Point Goals - Munday 4 (Wilson 2 McDaniel, Garcia), Aspermont 4 (Koenig 2, Van Meter, Miller). Total Fouls – Munday 20, Aspermont 17. Fouled Out – Loper, Morris. Technical Fouls – Loper.
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Munday swats away Hornets to advance to 1A regional tournament
